Pokemon: Hope and Despair
by Coden Lynx
Summary: In an alternate universe where the world of Danganronpa and Pokemon are one. An evil organization called Team Chaos are trying to control the world with Despair and Shadow Pokemon. Heavily inspired by Nuzlocke Challenges, as well as having the Danganronpa elements thrown in, prepare for a much darker Pokemon story.
1. Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

**A/N: Before reading this fan fiction, I needed to point some things out. In this story, the lore of Pokemon is slightly altered, and have quite a few differences from the games and anime. For example:**

 **-This is heavily inspired by a story from my "Lost Nuzlocke" (Basically, I lost the game data midway on my Nuzlocke Challenge, and was unable to continue the story... Until now.) So you can expect deaths to happen. But not just Pokemon Deaths, but human deaths as well. (This is also a Danganronpa fan fiction, after all.)**

 **-Pokemon is about bonding, and yet many things in the original canon hinders the full potential of the bonding between trainer and Pokemon (Such as calling a Pokemon "it," even when you know their gender, the possibility of having to eat Pokemon for meat) so I added and eliminated certain things in this story to have a bond between trainer and Pokemon that would reach it's full potential.**

 **-An ability called "Soul Link" replaces the common Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves. Similar to Full Synchro in the Megaman Battle Network series, if a trainer and a Pokemon's bond becomes strong enough, it will create a Soul Link, which may cause a Pokemon to Mega Evolve or unleash a more powerful version of a move. (Sometimes even both.) It's a double edged sword, however, for any damage the Pokemon sustains, the trainer sustains as well.**

 **-Pokemon can talk in this series. Similar to why we see this a lot in Nuzlocke Comics, I wanted to make it easier to show off each main Pokemon's personality, as well as make them feel more human then normal animals. Speaking of which...**

 **-Normal Animals actually exist in this Pokemon universe, but live in different regions since Pokemon are too different to coexist with them. This eliminates anyone having to eat Pokemon for meat in this series.**

 **-Each Pokemon has a nick name in this series. (Remember, this is heavily based off a Lost Nuzlocke.) You may noticed that many Pokemon will be named after characters of other games and anime, for example, Killia the Lucario, Haruhi the Loppunny, and Axel the Typhlosion (Got it memorized?) They may have the same personality as their counter parts, and sometimes they may not. However, expect a few original names as well.**

 **-Shadow Pokemon, which were first introduced in Pokemon Colosseum, play a big role in this story. Maybe even a bigger role then in the original games.**

 **There's more, but I think I dragged this on long enough, and I'm sure you'll get the idea from reading this series. I know some people may not like these differences, but I found them accentual to my story. Now, without further to do, let's dive in!**

* * *

"Here, Chiaki." said Kyosuke Munakata, while handing the nine year old girl a Pokemon Egg. The young girl looked at the egg in awe, then looked at her adoptive father.

"Is this...?" she began to say.

"Yes." Kyosuke answered, already knowing what Chiaki was going to ask, "That egg is the offspring of my Lucario, Killidia."

The moment she heard that, Chiaki gasp with excitement. Ever since she saw her father's Lucario, she became very fond of the Pokemon. Killidia was a powerful and loyal companion of Kyosuke's, and his most prized Pokemon. When Chiaki was old enough to be a trainer, she wanted one of her very own. And thanks to Kyosuke's gift, she'll be getting one much sooner then she expected.

"Thank you, father!" she said, "Thank you so much!"

Kyosuke smiled at the girl and gave her a nod.

* * *

"It's hatching!" Chiaki called out.

Chiaki's adoptive mother, Chisa Yukizome, soon came to the girl's side, followed by Kyosuke and Killidia. Hatching from the egg was a newborn Riolu. He let out a soft yawn before meeting eyes with Chiaki.

"What an adorable little thing!" Chisa said.

"Congratulations, Chiaki." Kyosuke said, "Have you thought of a name for him?"

The girl nodded before answering.

"I want to name him after his father." she said, "I'll call him 'Killia.'"

Killidia blushed as he heard that, and smiled when he saw how happy his son was of his new name.

"With some training, I can help you evolve Killia into a Lucario before your tenth birthday." Kyosuke said.

Killia looked very happy to hear that, his tail wagging as the family continued to talk.

"I can't believe I'll be a trainer soon..." Chiaki said.

* * *

The minimum age one must be to become a Pokemon Trainer was originally ten years old. However, after the rein of Team Chaos, it's leader, Junko Enoshima, and her army of Shadow Pokemon, the world became much too dangerous for children to go out into the world, even with Pokemon by their side. With Shadow Pokemon released into the wild, the savage beasts of despair killed many young trainers and Pokemon alike. The towns had to put up walls just to keep the Shadow Pokemon out.

The minimum age jumped from ten to eighteen. No one younger then eighteen could become a trainer. It was far too dangerous. Those under eighteen can still raise a Pokemon to prepare themselves, but as far as going on a journey, that was out of the question.

To fight against the forces of Team Chaos, Kyosuke helped put together the Future Foundation. The two opposing forces fought and fought to no end, until one of the leaders were able to defeat Junko. This leader was a trainer named Makoto Naegi. With his Dragonite, Arthur, by his side, Makoto defeated Junko, and had her drown in so much despair, she supposedly committed suicide.

However, just because this was the end of Junko, does not mean this was the end of Team Chaos. A new leader has risen, and is now in control of the despair organization. However, no one knows who this new leader is, for they work behind the sense, and refuses to show themselves.

As if that wasn't bad enough, even Makoto seemed to have vanished after Junko's defeat.

* * *

It was finally Chiaki's eighteenth birthday. She was now eligible to become a trainer. Although she was pretty excited, Killia, who was now a Lucario, could detect some fear using his aura.

"You're nervous, Chiaki."Killia said.

"Of course I am..." Chiaki admitted, "I've always wanted to be a trainer, but the world has gotten much more dangerous. I've heard that both Trainers and Pokemon were killed because of Team Chaos..."

"I'll do everything in my power to protect you, Chiaki. We're partners, after all."

"Thank you, Killia... But make sure you don't do anything reckless, okay?"

The Lucario nodded.

"...Okay..." Chiaki said, "Let's get going."

Chiaki left her room and went downstairs. There, she was greeted by her mother.

"Good morning, Chiaki." she said, "And happy birthday."

"Thank you, mother." Chiaki said.

"Are you excited to become a trainer?"

"Yeah... But I'm kind of nervous, too."

Chisa looked at her daughter's Lucario.

"You make sure to keep my little girl safe, okay?"

"Yes, m'am." Killia said.

"Good." Chisa said, before shifting her attention back to Chiaki, "Your father and I saw great potential in you. As much as I want to keep you home, I know you were meant to be a trainer." Chisa embraced her adoptive daughter, "Promise me you'll come back to visit once and a while."

"I promise." Chiaki said.

"And she's sincere." Killia added, "My aura detected it."

"Thank you, Killia." Chisa said, "But I trust my daughter's word, even if she didn't have a Pokemon who could detect aura."

"Y-yes m'am." Killia said.

"Well, I'm sure Professor Fujisaki's waiting for you." Chisa told Chiaki, "I have high hopes for your journey."

"Thank you, mother." Chiaki said.

* * *

Chiaki and her Lucario went towards Prof. Fujisaki's lab, when a Rockruff stopped them.

"Hey, bro!" the Rockruff greeted the Lucario.

"Hello, Zeroken." said Killia.

"Isn't it great! We're going to be going on an adventure soon! Then, I'll be as strong as you! Maybe even stronger!"

"Maybe." Killia said.

Chiaki, who knew this Rockruff all too well, noticed his trainer wasn't around.

"Hey... Where's Hajime?" she asked.

"Oh, he's over there." Zeroken said, pointing a paw at a nearby house.

Chiaki looked in that direction, and saw that Hajime was still talking to his mother.

"I'm sure Haji-man will be done soon." Zeroken said.

After an embrace from Hajime and his mother, he noticed Chiaki and walked in her direction.

"Chiaki..." he said.

"Hello, Hajime." Chiaki greeted.

"Well... This is it huh? We finally become trainers."

"Yeah. It's a little scary... But it'll be fun... I think."

"I'm detecting uncertainty..."

"We **all** detect uncertainty, bro." Zeroken said before Killia could finish.

"It's okay..." Hajime said, "I'm a little nervous, too. I don't even know if I'll be that good of a trainer."

"Don't say that." Chiaki said, "We've trained together, so I know you have what it takes."

"But... Look how far you've come. You manage to evolve Killia into a Lucario. But Zero's still a Rockruff..."

Before he knew it, Zeroken was on Hajime's head.

"It's not your fault, Haji-Man." said the Rockruff, wagging his tail, "I'm just a late bloomer."

"Even Zero believes in you, Hajime." Chiaki said.

"...Thanks, Zero." Hajime said.

"No problem, buddy!" Zero said.

* * *

Chiaki, Hajime, and their Pokemon entered the lab. There, they were greeted by the Professor's son, Chihiro.

"Chiaki. Hajime. Father's been waiting for you." he said, "Please, follow me."

The soon to be trainers and the Pokemon followed Chihiro to were Taichi Fujisaki was. He seemed to be researching something, but soon noticed his visitors.

"Ah, you made it." he said, "Well, I best get you prepared then."

Taichi got some Pokeballs and two Pokedex' out and handed them to the Chiaki and Hajime.

"There will be times Pokemon will get in your way, and test if you're a worthy trainer. In order to capture them, you'll need to have Pokeballs on you. This Pokedex is kind of like a field guide to understand the different species of Pokemon. And now for one last thing..."

Taichi led the two to a machine that had at least 21 Pokeballs.

"Here, you two will pick another partner to join you on your journey."

"You mean... We get to take another Pokemon with us?" Hajime asked.

"Even though you two have raised your Lucario and Rockruff ever since you were little, because of Team Chaos, the world has become much more dangerous. Therefore, an extra Pokemon will make the journey a little safer."

"Looks like we'll have a friend joining us, Killia." Chiaki said.

"Now, then..." Taichi said, "You can see which Pokemon are in each Pokeball from the monitors above them. Go ahead and chose your Pokemon."

Chiaki and Hajime thought long and hard before making their choice. Soon however, Chiaki came across one that looked like a fox.

"Fennikin." the monitor read.

"How about this one, Killia?" Chiaki said.

"I have no objections." said the Lucario.

"Okay. I choose Fennikin." Chiaki told the Professor.

"Very well." said Prof. Fujisaki, "Fennikin's now yours."

Chiaki was quick to let her new Pokemon out of her Pokeball. Once the Fennikin realize she was out, she met eyes with Chiaki.

"Are you my new Trainer?" she asked.

"Yes." Chiaki said, "My name is Chiaki. The Lucario with me is Killia. What's your name."

"Vixen." the Fennikin said, "Nice to meet you."

Hajime was a little indecisive for his choice. It seemed like Zeroken was a little more excited to choose then his trainer.

"How about this one?" Zero said, pointing to Charmander, "I heard it evolves into this awesome looking dragon in it's final stage." Zeroken soon ran towards another one. "Or maybe this one." Zero said, pointing to Rowlett, "It turns into a Ghost Type Archer! How cool is that?!" He then ran towards another one, "Or maybe even this one!" He said, pointing to Totodile, "I know they say he's a crocodile, but I think he's part dinosaur. Either way, he's really cool! Oh, but how about..." Zero didn't watch where he was going, and bumped into the next one, causing the Pokeball to roll off the machine and release the Pokemon inside.

The Pokemon looked gecko, although when Chiaki saw it, she compared it to Yoshi from the Mario series. The Treeko noticed Hajime and assumed he was his new trainer.

"Pleased to meet you." he said, "My name is Juto."

Before Hajime could say a word, Zeroken ran up to Juto and greeted him first.

"Hey, there! I'm Zeroken, but you can call me 'Zero.' That's Hajime, but I call him 'Haji-Man.'"

Although Hajime didn't really pick Juto, he had a hard time deciding in the first place, and just decided to call this fate.

"Welcome to the team, Juto." Hajime said.

"It looks like you both have chosen your new Pokemon." Prof. Fujisaki said, "Now, let me remind you one last time. With Team Chaos and Shadow Pokemon on the loose, this journey will be very dangerous. It would be a good idea to catch as many Pokemon as you can before leaving the wall.

"Okay." Chiaki said.

"Got it." said Hajime.

"Now, good luck on your journey."

* * *

The two new trainers left the lab and headed to the first route. This route was still within the wall, so there was no fear of running into any Shadow Pokemon.

"The Professor said to catch as many Pokemon as we can before leaving the wall." Chiaki said, "Which Pokemon should we catch?"

"Well, you see..." Juto began, "Like trainers, when a Pokemon reaches a certain age, they will become eligible to leave their home and find a trainer if they choose to do so. The ones that come to challenge you are the once you should go for."

"That's interesting." Hajime said, "Pokemon and humans are more alike then I thought."

"Most of us may look like animals." Juto said, "But when it's all said and done, we're our own people."

"Now that you've mentioned that..." Hajime said, "Why don't we ever see any normal animals?"

"It's because of the region you live in." Juto answered, "You see, when Pokemon entered your world, we took on the shapes of familiar animals and objects. This, however, caused some conflict and chaos between the animals of your world. We were just too different to coexist. So to fix this, Pokemon and Earth's animals were separated. Some regions have Pokemon, while others have normal animals."

"That make sense... I think." Chiaki said.

Before anyone could say another word, the team heard a thumping sound nearby.

"...I detect a Pokemon." Killia said, "And I think it's hurt."

Killia led the team towards the Pokemon. There, they found a Shinx in a blue hoodie. He looked like he was in really bad shape.

"Who could have done this...?" Chiaki said.

However, her question was answered almost immediately. The Shinx was soon covered in electricity and rammed into a tree. He fainted soon afterwards.

"That was Wild Charge." Killia said, "That move has recoil damage. From what I saw, That Shinx couldn't handle using it."

"From my observation..." Juto said, "I would assume he's trying to master how to use it. Despite the recoil, Wild Charge is a powerful move."

"Does anyone else find it odd that this wild Shinx is wearing a hoodie and glasses?" Hajime asked.

"Master Hajime, I don't believe this Shinx is wild." Juto said.

"You don't think he was abandoned, do you?" Chiaki asked.

"It's a possibility..."

"That's not the case." Killia quickly said, cutting off Juto, "I can sense his pain. This isn't the pain of being abandoned... It's the pain of guilt... And of loss."

"Are you saying..." Chiaki began to ask, but couldn't get herself to finish the sentence.

"...Yes." Killia said, "This Shinx's original trainer... Was killed."

Chiaki let out a gasp.

"But how?" Hajime asked, "He's inside the wall. His trainer wouldn't have been attacked by a Shadow Pokemon within these walls."

"We'll worry about that later." Chiaki said, "Right now, we need to help him."

* * *

The Shinx slowly opened his eyes. When he woke up, the first thing he saw were soft pink eyes looking in his direction. He didn't know why, but looking into those eyes gave him a glimmer of hope. Soon, the Shinx realized he was in a Pokemon Center.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked.

"Y-yeah..." said the Shinx, "I guess I over did it again."

"I'm glad you're okay." the girl said, "I'm Chiaki. What's your name."

"Coden..." the Shinx answered.

"Why were you attacking that tree earlier?"

"I wanted to master how to use Wild Charge properly."

Both the girl and the Shinx heard a Treeko say "Called it." Coden continued.

"Every time I use that move, I'm immediately out cold. I've tried long and hard to withstand the recoil damage, but had no results."

A Lucario came towards him.

"Why is this so important to you?" he asked.

"Because my weakness... Cost my trainer her life..." Coden said.

"...Will it hurt if I asked you to explain?"

"...I does kind of hurt to remember... But I'll try..." Coden then took a deep breath before continuing, "My trainer was very kind and encouraging. She always told me I could do anything if I believed in myself. So I trained hard to master my strongest move, Wild Charge... But, as you can see, not much progress was made. Then one day, my trainer and I were attacked by a Shadow Braviary. I used Wild Charge on him, but it wasn't enough to defeat him, despite being super effective. I was too weak to continue, and it was almost over for me, when..." Tears formed in Coden's eyes as the awful memories flooded his mind, "...She... Jumped in the way... And took the fatal blow..."

Killia lowered his head.

"I'm sorry..." he said, "I'm sorry I had to make you recall that..."

"...It's alright." Coden said, "It was my choice to tell you."

"How did you make your way here?" Chiaki said.

"The Professor found me." Coden answered, "He took me to a Pokemon Center at the nearest town, then took me here where it was safe."

"And you never found a new trainer?"

"I'm not strong enough to have a new trainer. I don't want to put someone else in danger because I'm too weak to fight off a Shadow Pokemon... I need to become a stronger Pokemon first."

"...If you really want to become stronger..." Hajime said to the Shinx, "Then you'll need a trainer by your side."

"He's right, you know." said Juto, "The bond between a human and a Pokemon is the key to our strength and evolution. Why do you think Pokemon with trainers are much stronger then Pokemon who live in the wild?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"And besides, You're going about your training the wrong way." Killia said, "By constantly overusing Wild Charge, all you're doing is exhausting yourself, and torturing yourself for no good reason. If you really want to be stronger, you need to 1. raise your defense and stamina, and 2. learn to master **all** your moves rather then just focusing on one. After all, if you go up against a Ground Type, Wild Charge will be useless."

"So all that hard work was for nothing..." Coden sighed.

"What you need is a tutor." Killia said, "And I'm sure I can help you... If you let me."

Before Coden could say a word, Zeroken jumped out of his Pokeball and appeared in front of the Shinx.

"You should except his offer!" he said, "Killia's a great coach! He helped train me, so I'll be on my way to evolving soon enough. With bro's help, you'll be a Luxuray in no time!"

"And Chiaki's a great trainer." Hajime added, "She may not be able to replace your original trainer, but she prepared herself ever since she was nine. I doubt any Shadow Pokemon will take her down."

"Hajime, you're giving me too much credit..." Chiaki said, "I only became a trainer today..."

"But you've been training under Munakata, who's not only one of the leaders of the Future Foundation, but also the..."

"Hajime..." Chiaki said, cutting him off, "Who my father is doesn't fully effect how strong I am. I can take his advice and learn from him, but in the end, I don't become stronger just by being his daughter; I have to put effort into becoming stronger."

"Yeah... I know." Hajime said, looking away.

"Wait, you're Kyosuke Munakata's daughter?!" Coden cried.

"Well, adopted daughter, but yeah." Chiaki answered.

"That's so cool!" Coden said, "No wonder you already have a Lucario on your team!"

"Coden, what did Chiaki just say?" Killia said, "It's not her status as Munakata's daughter that makes her strong; It's the effort she puts into her training that makes her stronger. Her determination... Her hope... Her heart... That's what really makes her strong. Her status of being Munakata's daughter has nothing to do with her strength."

"I didn't say **all that** at the end." Chiaki said.

"It **is** true though." said Killia.

"I'd be honored to train with you..." Coden began, "...But I wouldn't want to slow you down."

"Hey, don't doubt yourself so easily." Zeroken said, "If you keep thinking like that, the training's going to take a much longer time. Have some hope, and soon enough, you'll be the strongest Luxuray in the world."

"Zero's right." Chiaki said, "Don't give up on yourself."

Coden looked into Chiaki's eyes again. That spark of hope he felt before became flame.

"...Your right." Coden said, "I doubted myself way to quickly. I **can** get stronger."

"That's the spirit!" Zero said, "High paw!"

The Shinx and the Rockruff tapped each others paws. Afterwards, Coden joined Chiaki's party.

* * *

Chiaki and Hajime went back to the route they were previously at before.

"Hey, Killia." Chiaki said, "Do you mind if I walk with Vixen for a bit."

"Not at all." Killia said.

Chiaki then put her Lucario back in his Pokeball and let out her Fennikin.

"Yay! Fresh air!" Vixen said as she stretched her legs.

"I think we need to find you another member to your team, Hajime." Chiaki said.

"I don't know..." said Hajime, "The other Pokemon probably won't find me worthy to be their trainer..."

"Hey, now. Don't say that." his Treeko told him, "If Zero and I think you're a fine trainer, then what makes you think other Pokemon will disagree?"

"Well, Chiaki's clearly the better trainer..."

"Hajime, stop talking like that!" Chiaki said, much to Hajime's surprise, "Stop putting yourself down. From all that training we did as kids, I was able to see that you would make a great trainer."

"But I never won a battle against you once..." Hajime said.

"You also never gave up." said Chiaki.

"Yeah, but..."

"Besides, there were times you almost had me."

"Yeah, but in the end, you always came up on top. Munakata helped you train Killia to be a very powerful Lucario. I'll never be able to beat you with your skill and Killia's strength..."

"Let's split up for a bit." Chiaki said.

"Huh?"

"If you're so worried that Pokemon will pick me over you, then let's split up for a little bit. We'll catch some Pokemon in separate areas. Does that sound fair?"

"Well..."

"That sounds fair enough." Juto said, speaking up for Hajime, "Come on, Hajime. Let's go find us a new teammate over in that area."

Juto rush towards the direction he pointed to. Hajime followed him.

"Why's your boyfriend such a downer?" Vixen asked.

"He's just a friend..." Chiaki said blushing.

"If you say so." Vixen said, which prompt Chiaki to puff out her cheeks, "So, what's Hajime's deal?"

"I don't know for sure, but..."

Killia popped out of his Pokeball before Chiaki could finish.

"Hajime may be a little envious of Chiaki." he said.

"What?" Chiaki said, "What makes you say that?"

"I read it from his aura." Killia answered, "Hajime feels inferior compared to you. He thinks that he'll never come to your level."

"But that's not true." Chiaki said, "I'm sure he can become a strong trainer..."

"Didn't you already try telling him that?" asked the Fennikin.

"I... Guess I did..." Chiaki said, "How can I get through to him?"

"I think allowing him to catch a Pokemon on his own was a good start." Killia said, "If other Pokemon finds him as a worthy trainer, it might boost his confidence a bit."

"Yeah... You might be right." Chiaki said, "Well, I hope he finds a really rare one. Maybe he'll find..."

* * *

"...A Heracross?!" Hajime cried.

"Hey, amigos!" said the blue beetle, "Name's Jaime. Wanna battle?"

"We'd gladly battle with you." Juto said, "And if we win, you'll join our team, right?"

"Well, I **am** looking for a strong trainer." Jaime said, "Alright. It's a deal."

Hajime and Juto began to whisper to each other.

"Juto, I didn't agree to..."

"Don't you want a strong Pokemon like a Heracross on your team?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then stop doubting yourself. I'll guide you through the battle so you can achieve the victory."

"You're going to do that while battling...?"

"I'm not going to battle. Zeroken is. My hypothesis suggests he'd have a better advantage. Jaime's bug type gives him an advantage against me, while his fighting type gives him an advantage against Zero, but his bug typing makes it to where Zero's rock attacks will do better damage then any of my attacks. Plus, Zero's had more training then I have."

"Fair point."

"Hey! You two almost ready?" Jaime asked.

"Just talking about a strategy." Juto said, "We'll be done in a second."

"Gotcha." said Jaime, as he put his hands behind his head.

"Are you ready, Hajime?"

"...Alright." Hajime said, "Let's do it."

Hajime then let out Zeroken from his Pokeball.

"Let's go, go, go!" the Rockruff cried.

"A Rockruff, huh?" Jaime said, "Nice choice."

"Ready for this, Blue Beetle?" Zero asked.

"Blue Beetle...?" Jaime repeated, "Hey, I like that! It's simple, but has a nice ring to it. But yeah, I'm ready. Let's go!"

Jaime...("Call me 'Blue Beetle.'" he told the narrator.)...Blue Beetle rushed towards Zero, but was hit by a Rock Blast.

"Nice shot..." said the Heracross, "But get a load of this!"

Blue Beetle countered with an Arm Thrust attack.

"Dodge it, Zero!" Hajime cried.

Unfortunately, the attack made impact with the Rockruff.

"Arm Thrust has good accuracy." said Juto, "But fortunately, it has low attack, so Zero should be able to withstand it, even if it was super effective."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Zeroken assured them.

"You're tougher then I thought." Blue Beetle said, "This'll be fun!"

"Hajime, I have an idea." Juto said, as he whispered in his trainer's ear.

"...Alright." Hajime said, "Try using Bite."

Zero dashed towards Blue Beetle and bit the bug on the arm. Blue Beetle held his arm out while Zero was still hanging on to it with his mouth.

"Have you forgotten I'm part Fighting Type?" asked the Heracross.

"No, I didn't." Hajime said, "Sand Attack, Zeroken!"

Using his tail, Zero brushed some sand in Blue Beetle's face.

"Hey!" he said, trying to wipe off the sand.

"Now, Tackle him!" Hajime said.

Zero pounced the bug. Blue Beetle kicked him off and tried to counter with an Arm Thrust, but missed.

"Now, get behind him and use Return!" Hajime said.

Fueled with hope, Zeroken's body glowed as he charged at Blue Beetle with a powerful tackle. The impact sent the Heracross to the ground.

"...I yield." he said, "You guys are pretty good."

Zeroken walked to Blue Beetle's side.

"Good battle!" he said, extending his paw towards the bug.

Blue Beetle took the paw and shook it.

"Hajime, do you have anything that can help replenish their energy after that fight?" Juto asked.

"Yeah..." Hajime said, as he took out some Oran Berries.

He walked up to Zero and Blue Beetle, handing one to each of them.

"Thanks, amigo." said the Heracross, as he began eating it.

Zero ate his as well, and both of them felt refueled.

"So what do ya say?" Zero asked Blue Beetle, "Wanna join the team?"

"A deal's a deal, right?" he answered, "And with a Return attack **that** powerful, there's no doubt Hajime here is a good trainer. I'll happily join the team!"

And with that, Hajime caught Jaime "Blue Beetle" the Heracross.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chiaki and Vixen looked around for a new teammate of their own. Although they saw some Pokemon, they were the ones living in their habitat who had no intention in fighting or being caught.

"Just like how some human may not want to be trainers, some Pokemon don't want to be caught." Vixen said.

Then, Chiaki saw something kind of cute. A very small Sentret pointed at Chiaki while talking to an older Furret, who was also his mother.

"Look, mama! A trainer!" he said, "Can I battle her?"

"You're far too young for that, Elisha." said the Furret, "Maybe when you're older."

"Aww...!" whined the Sentret.

"...And some can't wait to grow up and find trainers." Vixen added.

"I remember when I was young. I couldn't wait to become a trainer. I was kind of like that Sentret over there. But then, Team Chaos happened, and I had to wait another eight years to become a trainer..."

"The Pokemon kind of had to go through the same thing, you know." said the Fennikin, "Originally, a Sentret as young as that could have found a trainer if they really wanted to before. But now, young Pokemon need to stay at home."

"It's amazing how alike humans and Pokemon are."

"Yeah... I guess that's why we can understand each other when we take the time to get to know one another."

The trainer and her Pokemon soon heard a voice from above.

"Halt, trainer!" it said.

Chiaki and Vixen looked up to see an unusual sight. A Nuzleaf descended from the sky by using the move Leaf Blade like a propeller. He soon landed in front of the two.

"I, Yoshimitsu, challenge thee to a duel!" the Nuzleaf said, as he pointed the leaf blade towards them, "Does thou accept?"

"Vixen?" Chiaki said.

"I'm up for it if you are." said Vixen.

"Alright. We accept." Chiaki told the Nuzleaf.

"Good." Yoshimitsu said, "Bring forth a battle I shall remember."

The Nuzleaf made the first strike. He came in with a Faint Attack. Dodging was futile, and the attack made impact.

"Ember!" Chiaki cried.

Vixen shot a small fireball at Yoshimitsu.

"Aye! Hot, hot, hot!" the Nuzleaf shouted, as he fanned the fire with the leaf on his head.

"Want me to shoot another Ember at him?" Vixen asked.

"No, let's keep this fair." Chiaki said.

"Thou is a warrior who fights with honor." Yoshimitsu said, "For that, I commend thee."

After the Nuzleaf successfully fanned the fire, he came in with his Leaf Blade. Despite not being very effective, it took a moderate amount of damage do to it's high attack.

"Are you okay, Vixen?" Chiaki asked.

"I'm fine." Vixen said, "What should I do next?"

"Try Quick Attack this time." Chiaki said.

"Got it!" Vixen said, as she charged at Yoshimitsu at full speed.

"Let's see what you're truly made of." Yoshimitsu said, as he braced himself.

Vixen's attack made impact, and knocked the Nuzleaf to the ground.

"...Did we win?" Vixen asked, as she moved closer to Yoshimitsu.

"...Gotcha!" Yoshimitsu attacked with another Faint Attack, now sending **Vixen** to the ground.

"Grr...! You really are the ' _Wily Pokemon_.'" Vixen said.

"Consider it a lesson." Yoshimitsu said, "Don't let thy guard down, even if thou thinks the battle is over."

Yoshimitsu then attacked with Razor Leaf.

"Try to dodge them!" Chiaki said.

Vixen manage to swiftly dodge most of the leaves. The ones that hit hardly did any damage, though.

"Now, use Ember!"

At Chiaki's command, Vixen shot another fire ball at Yoshimitsu. It was a little larger then the last one, and landed a critical hit, sending Yoshimitsu to the ground.

"...It appears I have been bested." the Nuzleaf said, "Congratulations on thy victory."

Chiaki pulled out some Oran Berries from her pack and gave them to Vixen and Yoshimitsu. Both Pokemon felt refueled.

"Thou art indeed a worthy trainer." Yoshimitsu said, as he bowed, "Please, allow me to lend thee my strength."

"Welcome to the team, Yoshimitsu. My name's Chiaki."

"It's an honor, Chiaki."

Yoshimitsu would lend Chiaki his strength from here on out.

* * *

After each trainer caught a new teammate, Chiaki and Hajime soon reunited. Both of them were walking with their new Pokemon.

"I see you caught yourself a Heracross." Chiaki said, "That's quite a find around here."

"And you caught a Nuzleaf." Hajime said.

The two Pokemon greeted each other.

"Greetings. I am Yoshimitsu."

"Nice to meet you, amigo. I'm Jaime. But call me 'Blue Beetle.'"

"That sounds like the name of a great hero! I assume thou art quite the warrior."

"I'd say the same for you. That name of yours just screams 'Legendary Samurai.'"

"I think it's safe to say our Pokemon are getting along." Hajime said.

"Yeah." Chiaki giggled.

Yoshimitsu pulled out a Leaf Blade.

"I would like to try sparing with thee one day." he said.

"I'm down with that." Blue Beetle said.

"Whoa! Your Nuzleaf already knows Leaf Blade?" Hajime said, "Blue Beetle, please tell me you know a move like Megahorn or something."

"Sorry, amigo, but if I had a move like that, I would have used it earlier." Blue Beetle answered.

"I was taught this move from my father, Tengu." Yoshimitsu said, "I come from a line of Nuzleaf who must learn this move at a young age."

"That's... Awesome..." Hajime said, looking a bit down.

"But so is your Heracross." Chiaki said, "Not many people have found one around here. Nuzleaf are much more common."

"Yeah, but not many trainers find a Nuzleaf that already knows Leaf Blade..."

Zeroken popped out of his Pokeball.

"Why are you so down, Haji-Man?" he asked, "You looked so confident before."

"It's nothing..." Hajime said, "I'm fine."

Hajime's expression said otherwise.

"Alright, that's it!" Zeroken said, as he now faced the other trainer, "Chiaki Nanami, we challenge you to a battle!"

"What?!" Hajime said.

"You always worry about Chiaki one-uping you, and it's starting to drive me crazy. All it takes is one achievement from this girl, and you're down in the dumps! So I think the only way to knock you out of it is to beat her once and for all!"

"But Zeroken, we can't..."

"Don't give me that! I've been your partner long enough to know you have what it takes to be a great trainer. I'm proud to call you my trainer, and it hurts me every time you put yourself down! So come on! I'm going to show you one way or another that you have what it takes!"

"Zeroken..."

"I'm down with this, amigo." Blue Beetle said.

"It looks like we'll be battling much sooner then I thought." Yoshimitsu said.

Hajime looked at his Heracross, then at his Rockruff. After that, he faced Chiaki.

"...Alright." he said, "Let's battle."

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **Well, that was fun. I hope you liked what you've read so far. And if anyone wants to make a cameo as a wild Pokemon in this story, P.M. me to let me know which Pokemon you want to be, and what you'll be doing. If instead of being wild, you want to have a certain Danganronpa character be your trainer, I might be able to work that out (It all depends on how well it'll work in the story.) But if I can't, I can still do wild Pokemon.  
**

 **I'm still going to be busy working on my original books, but may find some time to update this.**


	2. Chapter 2: Lethe Town

**A/N: Something I wanted to clear up before we get to the story**

 **\- Similar to the anime, Pokemon are not limited to only four moves. However, to prevent redundancy, moves that are somewhat the same, but have different attack powers can be thought of as a certain move leveling up in this story. (For example, Bubble levels up to Bubble Beam, Thunder Shock levels up to Thunderbolt, Ember levels up to Flame Burst, etc.)**

 **With that out of the way, let's continue the story.**

* * *

Chiaki and Hajime got ready for their battle. Each had a Pokeball in their hand. Prof. Fujisaki's son, Chihiro, was asked to be referee.

"This will be a two out of three battle." Chihiro said, "For each battle, you'll have to switch out your Pokemon, but no substitutions can be made during the battle. The one who wins two battles will be the winner."

The two trainers waited for Chihiro's signal. He looked at both of them to confirm they were ready.

"Alright, then." he said, "Round one... Start!"

Chiaki and Hajime threw the Pokeballs in their hands. On Chiaki's side was Coden, and on Hajime's side was Juto.

"Let's make this a fair fight." Juto said.

"Agreed." said Coden.

"You can make the first move, Hajime." Chiaki said.

"Alright." said Hajime, "Juto, use Pound!"

Juto made a fist and punched Coden.

"You okay." Chiaki asked, prompting Coden to nod, "Alright. Use Bite!"

Coden bared his fangs, and charged at Juto. He then bit the green lizard.

"Use Absorb!" Hajime said.

Juto drained some of Coden's energy, and took half of it for himself.

"Coden, use Spark!"

The Shinx let out an electric surge and attacked the Treeko. It didn't do much damage, but that wasn't Chiaki's plan to begin with.

"I... Can't seem to move properly..." Juto said.

The move managed to paralyze Juto, making it hard to move, or even attack.

"Hold on, Juto!" Hajime said, as he checked his pack, "...Oh no... I don't have any Cheri Berries..."

"N-no need to worry, Hajime..." Juto assured his trainer, "I'll manage..."

"Are you sure?"

"If I were an atom, I'd be **positive.** "

"Alright, then let's try Absorb again."

The move wasn't as successful this time around. Juto's movement was so slow, it was a no brainer for Coden to dodge.

"Juto...!"

"Don't worry, Hajime. I have a plan."

"...Alright." Hajime said, "...I trust you."

"Quick attack, Coden!" Chiaki said.

Coden dashed at high speed, preparing to ram the Treeko.

"...Now!" Juto shouted, as he countered with close ranged Pursuit Attack.

Coden was pushed backward, and found himself on the ground. From the look of the amount of damage Coden took, Juto must have landed a critical.

"Are you okay, Coden?" Chiaki asked.

Instead of answering, Coden glared at the Treeko, and let our a mighty roar. Juto found himself very intimidated. He soon realized that Intimidate was Coden's ability.

"I'll finish this!" Coden said, as his body was covered in electricity.

"Coden, no...!" Chiaki cried.

"No, my friend!" Juto said, "Don't do it!"

Overcome by rage, Coden attacked with Wild Charge. Juto was hit with a massive attack. The attack was so powerful... That Coden fainted. With only a smidgen of health left, Juto just barely won the match.

"Coden is unable to battle." Chihiro said, "The winner of the first match is Hajime and Juto."

"Poor Coden..." Juto said, "His anger got the best of him, and it cost him."

"Rest for now, Coden." Chiaki said, as she had her Shinx return to his Pokeball, "Good job, Hajime."

"I was only lucky that time." Hajime said.

"Don't put yourself down like that." said Chiaki.

"She's right, my friend." said Juto, "You did well."

"Well... So did you, Juto. You deserve a good rest after that battle."

"Thank you. I really could use one."

Hajime returned Juto back in his Pokeball.

"Alright." Chihiro said, "Choose your next Pokemon."

Hajime took out another Pokeball and threw it. Out to battle was Blue Beetle. Chiaki did the same, and let out Yoshimitsu.

'Wait... Why did she pick her Nuzleaf?' Hajime thought, 'He has a major type disadvantage against Blue Beetle. Don't tell me she's **trying** to let me win...'

"Ah, Blue Beetle!" Yoshimitsu cheered, "It would seem our duel came faster then I expected."

"Yeah! This is awesome, amigo." said the Heracross.

Yoshimitsu faced his trainer.

"Chiaki, I thank thee for allowing me this opportunity." he said.

"Of course." Chiaki said, "I knew you wanted to battle him, so I thought now would be a good a time as any."

'...Guess I was over thinking it.' Hajime thought.

Both the trainers and their Pokemon got ready for battle.

"Round two... Begin!" Chihiro announced.

"Horn Attack!" Hajime called out.

Blue Beetle charged horn first at Yoshimitsu.

"Faint Attack!" Chiaki called out.

The Nuzleaf's attack made impact with the Heracross.

"Nice one, amigo!" said Blue Beetle, but can you handle **this**?"

Blue Beetle flew in the air, then charged at the Nuzleaf.

"That was Ariel Ace..." said Chiaki, "Are you alright, Yoshimitsu?"

"Though it was super effective, it's nothing I couldn't handle. Now, if it were a Bug Type move, I'd have been in trouble..."

"Did someone say 'Bug Type move?'" Blue Beetle asked before shooting Pin Missiles at Yoshimitsu.

The ultra effective move hit the Nuzleaf five times, and he fell to the ground.

"...Did... We win?" Hajime asked.

"...That was pretty good." Yoshimitsu said, "But it's a shame thou did not realized... Thou has fallen for my trap!"

Yoshimitsu got back up, and was surrounded by powerful aura.

"This is..." Hajime started to say.

"...Bide." Blue Beetle finished.

Yoshimitsu took in all that energy, and put it all into one punch. The attack landed, and Blue Beetle fainted.

"Blue Beetle is unable to battle." Chihiro announced, "Round two goes to Chiaki and Yoshimitsu."

"Good job, Yoshimitsu!" Chiaki cheered.

"Your praise is appreciated." the Nuzleaf said.

"That was intense..." said Blue Beetle, who was very dizzy after that last battle.

"Take a rest, Blue Beetle." Hajime said.

"Gladly..." the Heracross said.

Hajime had Blue Beetle return to his Pokeball.

"You should rest too, Yoshimitsu." Chiaki said.

"Very well." Yoshimitsu said, as he returned to his Pokeball.

"This will be the last round." Chihiro said, "Whoever wins this battle will be the victor."

Both Chiaki and Hajime nodded at Chihiro before they got out their next Pokemon. Hajime chose Zeroken, who was his last Pokemon. Chiaki's wisest choice would have been to pick Killia, who would have the advantage in this battle. However, she chose Vixen instead, who had a disadvantage against the Rock Type dog.

'...She really **is** trying to let me win...' Hajime thought.

Chiaki crouched down to talk o her Fennekin.

"Vixen..." she said, "I know you may have a disadvantage in this battle, but Killia's had a trainer battle with Zeroken for around nine years. I thought it was about time Zeroken had a different opponent this time."

"I understand." Vixen said, "I'm not going to let something as trivial as types discourage me."

'...Or maybe I'm just over thinking it again...' Hajime thought.

"Final round...Begin!" Chihiro announced.

"Ember!" Chiaki called out.

Vixen shot a small fire ball at Zero. Unfortunately, it did not do much damage, nor did it leave a burn.

"Rock Tomb!" cried Hajime.

Zero hurled boulders at Vixen. The attack lowered her speed.

'This isn't good...' Vixen thought.

"Now, use Bite!" Hajime said.

Zero bit Vixen, causing her to flinch.

'We may be able to win this...' Hajime thought.

"Rock Throw!" said Hajime.

Zero launched a rock towards Vixen, who barely dodged it.

"Flame Charge!" Chiaki called out.

Although this attack didn't do much damage, it restored her speed.

"Rock Tomb!"

Zero hurled more boulders, but this time Vixen dodged them effortlessly.

"Psybeam!"

Vixen unleashed a beam of psychic energy at Zero. Compared to the fire attacks, this move did much more damage.

"Howl!"

Zero let out a loud howl, which increased his attack power.

"Use another Psybeam!"

Vixen blasted Zeroken with more psychic energy.

"Use Rock Tomb!"

With the boosted attack power, Zero used a devastating attack. Added to the fact that it was super effective and a critical hit, Vixen was at her last leg.

'No...' Vixen thought, 'I can't lose...'

"Vixen...!" Chiaki cried.

"I... Won't lose..." the Fennekin said.

"Don't push yourself!" Chiaki said, "You can seriously get hurt if you overdue it..."

"...I'm... Not going to lose!"

Vixen's fur burst into flames, as her Blaze Ability kicked in. She then shot a fire ball at Zeroken. But this attack wasn't Ember; It was...

"...Flame Burst?" said Chiaki, at awe of how much stronger Vixen became.

The blazing attack hit Zero, and due to the Blaze Ability and higher power, Zero's type advantage didn't stop this attack from being devastating. The Rockruff found himself engulfed by the flames.

"Zeroken!" Hajime cried.

The fire cleared up, and Zero was still standing.

"Are you alright...?" Hajime asked.

"...Aw, man..." Zero said, "I must be having an off day..."

Zero then fell to the ground and fainted.

"Zeroken is unable to battle." Chihiro announced, "The winner of this match is Chiaki and Vixen!"

"I... Did it..." Vixen said, before falling to the ground as well.

"Well, I lost..." Hajime said, "I knew I couldn't beat you..."

"Hajime..." Chiaki said.

Hajime picked up his Rockruff.

"I'm sorry, Haji..." Zero said.

"You did your best." Hajime said.

Chiaki picked up Vixen.

"That was wild..." the Fennekin said, "But I manage to turn the battle around."

Vixen was low on energy, and dozed off. Chiaki smiled and put her back in her Pokeball.

"...Chiaki, listen..." Hajime said, "I'm going to the Poke-Center to heal my Pokemon... Then I'm going to stay here for awhile to train. Why don't go on ahead of me."

"But I thought we were going on our Journey together..." Chiaki said.

"I don't want to slow you down." Hajime said.

"But..."

"Don't worry. I'll catch up with you soon enough. We'll have our journey together after that."

Chiaki didn't want to leave her best friend behind, but it was clear his mind was made up.

"...Okay." she said, "But I'm going with you to the Pokemon Center. My team needs healing too, you know."

"Alright." Hajime said.

* * *

Hajime and Chiaki's team were fully healed.

"I'm sorry about earlier..." Coden told Juto.

"All is forgiven, my friend." the Treeko said, "But word of advice; Try to control your anger. Rash decisions aren't always wise decisions."

"Alright..." the Shinx said.

"And I know you're hurting from what happened to your other trainer..." Juto continued, "But if you let that pain control you, you may find that moving forward will become much more difficult. I'm not saying you should forget about her; Just don't let the pain take hold of you."

"I think I understand what your saying..." Coden said.

"Good." said Juto, "I wish you the best of luck on your journey. I won't be surprised if you're a Luxio by the time we meet again."

While Coden and Juto were making amends, Chiaki and Hajime talked about what they'd do next.

"I'd be willing to stay a little longer and let you finish your training." Chiaki said, "I'll even train with you..."

"No, this is something I need to do on my own.." Hajime said, "Go on to the next town. I'll finish as soon as possible and catch up with you in no time. We'll meet up again once I'm done."

"Okay. You'll let me know on the Poke-Gear, right?"

"Of course. I'll meet you in the town you're in when I finish, okay?"

"Alright. Good luck."

"Thanks. You, too."

Chiaki was about to leave, but Chihiro stopped her before she could.

"Hold on." he said, "I got some extra supplies for you two so your journey will be safer."

Chihiro gave them some berries and healing items to take along with them.

"Thank you, Chihiro." Chiaki said.

"No problem." said Chihiro, "And if you run into my friend, Miaya, tell her I said 'Hi'"

* * *

After saying their goodbyes, Chiaki and Hajime parted ways. Chiaki went further in the forest area of the first route of Caerus Town, reaching the gate. She decided to walk with Coden this time.

"Are you ready, Coden?" Chiaki asked, "Once we go through this gate, our journey will be much more dangerous."

"I know..." said the Shinx, "But I'm going to get stronger. I'm ready whenever you are."

"Yeah! This sounds exciting!" said a female voice.

"Who said that?" Chiaki asked.

"Chiaki! On your head!" said Coden.

Soon, Chiaki met eyes with a smiling purple monkey with a hand on her tail.

"Hello there!" said the monkey.

"An Aipom..." said Chiaki.

"The names Welch. I couldn't help but notice you and your Shinx were going past this gate. Mind if I tag along?"

"Are you sure?" Chiaki asked, "There will be Shadow Pokemon on the other side..."

"I know, but it's so stuffy here, and I want to go on an adventure. I'm prepared for any danger that comes my way!"

"Alright." said Chiaki, "Welcome aboard, Welch."

After meeting her new teammate, Chiaki went through the wall. She made sure to look around carefully so she wouldn't be ambushed by any Shadow Pokemon.

"Um, Chiaki..." Coden said, "It might be safer to walk with Killia. His Aura would be useful for detecting Shadow Pokemon."

"I know..." Chiaki said, "But I want a chance to walk with all the Pokemon I caught."

"Well, you can walk with me and Welch when we get to the next town. Right now, your safety is more important to us."

"...Okay." Chiaki said, as she switched out her Shinx with her Lucario.

"...Our teammates really care about you." Killia said, "That's why they want to keep you safe... As do I."

"I'm counting on all of you." Chiaki said.

Fortunately, there were no signs of Shadow Pokemon, or anyone from Team Chaos. Chiaki felt a bit relieved. She wouldn't know what to do if she had to battle a Shadow Pokemon. Killia soon halted and looked around.

"What's wrong, Killia?" Chiaki asked, "Did you detect a Shadow Pokemon?"

"No, thankfully..." said the Lucario, "However, we're not alone."

Chiaki started to look around as well.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Show yourself!" Killia called out.

Coming out of the woods was a girl with long red hair and red eyes. She stared into Chiaki's eyes, then into Killia's.

"Um... Hello..." Chiaki said a bit nervously.

"...Battle me." the girl simply said.

"Huh?" said Chiaki.

The red head pointed to Killia.

"Battle me. With your Lucario." she said.

Chiaki didn't know how to answer to the sudden challenge from this stranger. However, Killia seemed ready to battle.

"Very well." he said, as he shot an Aura Sphere at the girl.

"Killia, what are you doing?!" Chiaki asked.

The moment the blast hit the girl, her... Or rather, his appearance changed. The long red hair became spiky, and had a green orb on it. He was covered in black fur, and had red claws. He had the appearance of a black fox.

"A Zoroark..." Chiaki said.

"Not bad, buddy." the Zoroark said, "You saw right through my disguise. But I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve!"

The Zoroark shot a Flame Thrower at Killia.

"Hrk! Quite the coverage move you got there..." Killia said.

"Of course! I'm Loki the Trick Master! No one can predict me, not even a Lucario."

"This'll be an interesting battle." said Killia.

The Lucario came in close with a Close Combat attack. Although Super Effective, Loki was still standing.

"Nice try..." said the Zoroark, "Now take a gander at this!"

Loki was behind Killia at high speed, and shot a Shadow Ball at him, knocking the Lucario to the ground.

"Two can play at that game..." said Killia, as he used Extreme Speed.

Killia thought he made a direct hit, only to realize it was just an illusion. He then felt the sting of a critical Night Slash.

"Don't underestimate my speed, pal!" said the Zoroark.

Before any of the Pokemon could land another move, they heard a female voice calling out from the woods.

"Loki, where are you?!" it said.

"Just battling, sweet heart!" the Zoroark called out.

A girl with red hair and red eyes came out of the woods. She looked exactly like the girl Loki took the form of earlier. On her head was a Buneary, and at her side was an Espeon.

"Oh my goodness. You're picking on another Lucario again." she said.

"Come on, Ryoko." Loki said, "I'm looking for my Number 1 Rival, and I think this guy might be the one!"

"You say that every time..." the girl said.

"One of these days you're going to get lost, and Ryoko won't be there to save you if you're in trouble." said the Espeon.

"Shut it, Kyube!" the Zoroark yelled, "I can take care of myself, you know!"

"This Zoroark is rude!" said the Buneary, "You should give him a penalty!"

"Who's this brat?" the Zoroark asked.

"I'm not a brat!" the Buneary said, "I'm Haruhi, Ryoko's newest addition to her team! You better remember that!"

"Oh, I can see **you're** going to be annoying..." said the Zoroark.

The girl with the red hair noticed Chiaki.

"Sorry about Loki." she said, "He came from a line of Zoroark who had a huge rivalry against Lucario."

"I see..." Chiaki said.

"Well, I believe your Zoroark was a worthy opponent." said Killia.

"You weren't half bad yourself." said Loki, "Wadda ya say? Wanna be my rival?"

"Very well." the Lucario said, "I'm Killia."

"Loki." said the Zoroark, "Nice to meet ya!"

"I guess Loki wanted to be friendly rivals with a Lucario." Chiaki said.

"Yeah, Loki may act tough sometimes, but deep down he's a big softy trying to make friends." said the red head, "This Lucario was the first to accept the rivalry offer, so Loki must be overjoyed right now."

"Don't embarrass me, Ryoko!" the Zoroark complained.

The red head chuckled before extending a hand towards Chiaki.

"I'm Ryoko Otonashi." she said.

"Chiaki Nanami. Nice to meet you."

"Were you heading for Lethe Town?"

"Is that the next town ahead?"

Ryoko nodded.

"Then yeah, I was." Chiaki answered.

"I was going to head back once I was finished with things over here. Want to head there together?"

"Okay."

So Chiaki and Ryoko walked together to Lethe Town together. After getting inside the gate, they were greeted by a young man with black hair and pale blue eyes.

"Took you long enough." he said, "The others have been waiting for you."

"Nice to see you too, Yasuke..." Ryoko said a little sarcastically.

Yasuke noticed Chiaki.

"If you're looking for the Gym, it's not open right now. You can wait at the Trainer School. It's over there." He said, pointing to a small building, "Be careful of the kids. They can be a handful."

"That sounds like a good opportunity, Chiaki." said Killia, "I can train Coden there, and the others can gain some experience as well. If you decide to take on the gym, we should be ready by the time it opens."

"Okay." Chiaki said, before shifting her attention to Yasuke, "Thank you for the directions."

"Yeah, whatever." Yasuke said, "Now get lost already. I need to talk to the ugly red head here."

"D-Don't lie! I'm not ugly!" Ryoko said, "I'm cuter than most people in this world!"

"Keep dreaming." Yasuke said.

"How could you possibly like this guy?" Loki asked.

"I think it has something to do with having a crus..."

"SHUT UP, KYUBE!" Ryoko yelled at her Espeon.

Killia chuckled, for he was able to make the connection as well.

"Let's head to the Trainer School." Killia said.

"Okay." said Chiaki.

Chiaki and her Lucario headed to the Trainer School while Ryoko and Yasuke continued their quarrel.

* * *

"C'mon, Goku! Use Fire Punch!" said the red headed boy.

The Boy's Monferno launched his fist towards the opponent's Steenee.

"Don't let it hit you, Popo!" said the girl with the huge pink pigtails and the devil horned hairband.

The Steenee swiftly dodged the punch.

"Now, use Teeter Dance!"

Popo did a wobbly dance that confused Goku.

"Uh... What was I doing again?" the Monferno asked.

"Use another Fire Punch!" said the red haired boy.

"Got it." said the Monferno, before he punched himself in the face and knocked himself out.

"Hey! No fair, Kotoko!" said the red headed boy.

"That **was** fair, Masaru!" said the pigtail girl, "Status moves are part of a good strategy!"

"I don't think such moves should exist!" said Masaru, "Strength is all you need to win!"

A boy with blue hair and a yellow scarf appeared. Accompanying him was an Espurr.

"Masaru, if you decide to battle without having some kind of strategy, you'll be at a disadvantage against someone who does." he said.

"But I do, Nagisa." Masaru told him, "Beat 'em down till they faint. That's my strategy."

"Does that count as a strategy?" the Espurr asked.

"No, Joshua. It doesn't." said Nagisa.

A boy wearing a mask came forward. He had a Yamask with him.

"Can I battle next?" he asked.

"We can have a round, Jotaro." Nagisa answered.

While the other for children were sparing with each other, a green haired girl in a wheelchair was watching near the teacher's desk. She had a Teddiursa with her. Sitting at the teacher's desk was a young man with spiky black hair, large eyebrows and a white uniform. He too was watching the battle.

"Aren't you going to practice battling with the others?" He asked.

"No. Monaca thinks it's enough of a learning experience just to watch." said the girl in the wheelchair.

"You'll get a better gist of it if you actually experience battling, Monaca."

"Maybe later." Monaca said.

Nagisa and Jotaro were about to have their battle, but before they could, Chiaki walked in. All of a sudden, Masaru got excited.

"Wow! A Lucario!" he said as he ran up to Killia.

"Indoor voice, Masaru!" the teacher cried.

"Practice what you preach, Mr. Ishimaru." said Monaca.

Ishimaru walked over to see Chiaki and Killia.

"Greeting, visitor." he said, "I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru. I'm in charge of teaching the young students here how to become promising trainers. What brings you here?"

"Um... I was told to wait here until the gym opens." Chiaki said, "I came to have my Pokemon train while I wait."

"Very good!" Kiyotaka said, "Do you mind training with my students? I'm sure it'll be a great learning experience for them."

"Sure. I don't mind." she said.

Chiaki let out the rest of her Pokemon. The other kids looked in awe.

"You have so many Pokemon..." Jotaro said.

"Your Shinx and Fennekin are totes adorbs!" said Kotoko, "Oh, and so is your Aipom!"

"Check it out! We're popular!" Welch said.

Goku finally woke up.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

"Check it out, Goku!" Masaru said, "It's another fighting type!"

The Monferno noticed the Lucario.

"Oh, you're right!" he said, as he walked up to Killia, "My name's Goku. I hope to test your strength some time."

"I'm Killia. I'm up for a battle."

"You seem to really like fighting types." Chiaki told Masaru."

"Yeah. They're my favorite type." he said, "I want to become a Fighting Type Gym Leader one day."

"I'm sure you'll make a great Gym Leader." said Chiaki.

"Thanks!" the red headed boy said, "My name's Masaru. You'll know I'm a winner because my name means 'Victory!'"

"Yeah, but 'Saru' by itself means 'Monkey.'" Kotoko murmured, "Which makes Goku the perfect Pokemon for him."

"You call me, Kotoko?" Goku asked.

"No." said Kotoko.

"My, what a lovely lady." Yoshimitsu said, looking at Popo, "What does thou call thyself?"

"My names Popo." said the Steenee.

"Popo... Such a cute name." the Nuzleaf said.

"I think **someone** has a crush." the Aipom said.

"Alright, Coden." Killia said, "You ready to do some training?"

"Y-yes, Master Killia." said the Shinx.

Nagisa walked a little closer to Chiaki.

"Excuse me." he said to her, "As Mr. Ishimaru said, we are learning to become trainers when we are old enough. Is there any advice you can give us?"

"Well, I'm a fairly new trainer myself, but I can try..." Chiaki said, "My father told me when I was younger, 'A weapon is a tool, but a Pokemon is a partner. You can easily replace a sword, but you can never truly replace a Pokemon. They will do everything in their power to protect you, so make sure you do the same for them.'"

"Those are wise words." Nagisa said, "Thank you, miss..."

"Chiaki. My name is Chiaki."

"I'm Nagisa. This is my partner, Joshua."

"I'm Kotoko, and this is my super adorable Steenee, Popo."

"I'm... Jotoro. This is... My Yamask, Ramses."

"You know my name already, but my Monferno's name is Goku. He's going to be the greatest warrior when he becomes a Super Sayian..."

"Wrong series, Masaru." Kotoko said.

"Oh... He'll be the strongest Pokemon when he evolves into an Infernape!"

The girl in the wheelchair rolled up to Chiaki.

Monaca's name is Monaca." she said, "And this is my Teddiursa, Nyx."

"Nice to meet all of you." Chiaki said.

"You know what? You're totes adorbs, too!" Kotoko said.

"Um... Thank you." said Chiaki, blushing a bit.

"Let's hurry up and do some more training!" Masaru said, "The sooner Goku evolves, the better!

Now that Chiaki was here, the young future trainers spared with her Pokemon, while Killia focused on helping Coden.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ryoko and Yasuke were discussing something about some strange activities going on around Lethe Town.

"...a Spy from Team Chaos? Are you serious?" Ryoko asked.

"When have I ever joked around?" Yasuke said.

"Well, where are they?" asked Ryoko asked.

"Don't be hasty. We don't know for sure if this is one hundred percent true, or who it is yet. But we need to stay cautious." said Yasuke.

"Fine... But the moment we know who it is, we take them down, right?"

"Don't do anything rash. I know you can't wait to get the beat down on Team Chaos, but..."

"I can't wait any longer. They're the reason I lost my memories. If I could just reach their base, I could probably find out about my past."

"We don't know that for sure. Besides, you're not ready to take them on yet. Not by yourself, at least."

"I don't need anyone to babysit me..."

"Oh, please! You can be as dumb as a rock sometimes. I think that's plenty of proof that you need someone to hold your hand on this one."

"I'm not **dumb**!"

"But you **are** impatient. Look, hold your horses, and just be on your guard right now. I'll let you know when I got some more info, and tell you what the plan is."

Yasuke was about to walk away, but Ryoko stopped him.

"Do you have any idea who this spy might be?" she asked.

"I have my suspicions..." said Yasuke.

"You mind sharing them?"

"Sorry, but I don't trust you with that information. You'll do something rash."

With that, Yasuke left, and Ryoko let out a huff.

"He's only doing this to keep you safe." Kyube said.

"Are you sure he's not just being like that because he's an ass?" Loki asked.

"I'm sure." Kyube answered, "I'm a Psychic Type, remember?"

"Some Psychic you are." said the Zoroark, "You can't even bring back Ryoko's memories."

The Espeon just looked away.

"Don't let it get you down." Ryoko told him, "You didn't do this. Junko did. If she's still out there, I'll make her tell me everything. But if she's really dead, then I'll just make Team Chaos give me answers. Then I'll take them down."

"I'm with you all the way, Ryoko." said Loki.

"...Yeah." Kyube said, "...Me, too..."

* * *

Chiaki and the children continued training together. However, They were interrupted when Yasuke entered the room.

"Monaca." he said, "There's something I need to discuss with you. Come with me."

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **Looks like we're close to seeing some Team Chaos action.  
**

 **If you have any guesses on who the Team Chaos spy is, or other predictions like who Lethe Town's Gym Leader is, feel free to to leave a guess in your review.**

 **Also, if you're wondering where I got the names for the towns for this story, they come from Greek Mythology. The names may actually be symbolic at times.**

 **And so there's no confusion, Popo was named after the character from Stella Glow, not Dragon Ball Z like Goku was.**


	3. Chapter 3: When Chaos Strikes Part 1

**A/N: Hey, everyone. It's been awhile. Sorry I haven't published anything for so long. I've been so busy trying to right my original books as well as dealing with personal matters, I hardly had the time. However, things have calmed down a bit, so I think I might be able to find time to update some fan fictions again from time to time. Also, special thanks to Erlifania for the last review, which really helped boost my confidence and motivation. I'm glad people are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Anyway, let's get this story started.**

* * *

Yasuke and Monaca were in an elevator. At first, it was only silence between the two, but Monaca soon put it to an end.

"So, what is it you wanted to discuss?" she asked in a not so cheery tune.

"We have information that there's a Team Chaos spy here in Lethe Town." Yasuke answered.

"Seriously..." she said with a moan, "I wanted to be done with them.

"As long as Team Chaos is still running around, there's no way for you to really run away from them. After all, if one of the members recognize you..."

"Please don't remind me..." Monaca said, "I just want to be rid of them so I can put it all behind me and live the rest of my life as a normal girl."

"A normal girl with a scary high I.Q."

"You know what I mean."

The elevator door opened, and the two found themselves in some kind of laboratory. There was a huge computer, a strange machine, some unique glove like gadgets, and strange Poke Balls that had black tops with red lightning bolt symbols on them.

"How close are you to getting this Purification Machine running?" Yasuke asked.

"It shouldn't be long now." Monaca answered.

"Good." Yasuke said, "I'd imagine that spy would bring a Shadow Pokemon with them. Once we capture it, we'll be able to purify it..."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Monaca said, "Even if we snag the Shadow Pokemon, and I get the machine up and running, it wouldn't work on the Pokemon just yet. That Pokemon would have to spend time with a good trainer, slowly remember it's past, and have some hope to help negate the despair in it's program."

"That's so sickeningly sappy."

"Hey, I didn't decide this! This is part of Fujisaki and Gekkogahara's design."

"Should have known they'd sprinkle some kind of hope moral to this machine. So how long do we have?"

"Can you give me half an hour?"

"Fine. But if the spy causes trouble before then..."

"I know, I know. Double time."

Yasuke then headed for the elevator and left Monaca to do her work. The green haired girl let out a sigh.

'No matter how much I try to escape them... That blasted team continues to cause trouble for me...' Monaca thought, '...Why'd I ever side with despair in the first place...?'

* * *

Meanwhile near the Gym, a girl in a Pikachu hoodie walked near the door. Next to her was a female Pikachu wearing a white scarf.

"The gym's closed, you know." she heard someone say.

The moment the girl heard that, she looked in the direction the voice came from. There stood a guy with flaming red hair, and a red beard to match. He was also wearing white close. His appearance gave him a rockstar vibe.

"Whoa! Wicked eyes!" he said.

"Huh...?" said the girl, "...Oh, yeah. I have heterochromia. It's a rare mutation..."

"Well, I think it looks good on you." the red haired guy said.

"Um... Thank you." said the Pikachu girl.

"Anyway, If you want to challenge the gym, you'll have to wait." said the red head, "There's a trainer school over there. Why not stop by."

The girl simply said thank you and went towards the school.

* * *

Back at Caerus Town, Hajime did some training with some of the wild Pokemon there. These Pokemon were friends of Blue Beetle, so they were willing to help out. Hajime trained and trained until his Pokemon were too tired. So, he went to the Poke-Center and healed them, then allowed them to take a break before they trained again. At one point, Zeroken won another battle and started to chuckle.

"Hey, Haji-Man! What'd I tell ya before?" he said, "...I'm just a late bloomer."

Suddenly, Zeroken's body glowed, and his shape and sized changed. He went from a small dog to a larger wolf. He was an orange color, and had elements from both the Midday and Midnight forms.

"Zero..." Hajime said, "You evolved..."

"Yeah! I'm a Lycanroc now! Isn't this awesome? Although, I never seen this form before..."

The wild Pokemon they were training with began to congratulate Zero.

"Good job, pal." said a Bunnelby.

"You got yourself a good trainer." said a Caterpie.

"I'm proud of you, Zero." Hajime said.

Soon, everyone heard some clapping nearby. Hajime and the Pokemon looked in the direction it came from, and saw a young man around Hajime with white hair, and a green hoodie. With him was a Meowth with a red scarf and a cheery expression on his face.

"Bravo." said the boy in the hoodie, "That was truly spectacular. I felt so much hope in that battle."

"Um... Thanks?" Hajime said.

"Sure. I can tell you and your Lycanroc share a strong bond. Especially since it manage to take on such a rare form."

"Well, I've been with Haji-Man here ever since he was nine." Zero said.

"Really? Same with me and Cait Sith here." said the green hooded kid, "So your name is 'Hagi-Man' then?"

"Actually, it's Haji **me.** My Lycanroc just nicked named me that."

"I see. Well, I'm Nagito Komaeda. This is my partner, Cait Sith."

"Pleasure to meet ya." the Meowth said, having a Scottish accent when he spoke.

"Same!" said Zero.

"So, you're training your Pokemon for something big, I assume?" Nagito asked.

"I guess you can say that." Hajime answered.

"Judging from your progress, you'll do just fine."

"I don't know..."

"Have hope. When hope bonds a trainer and a Pokemon, they unlock remarkable power."

"Can it really?"

"Of course. Your Lycanroc's evolution is proof of that. Only trainers who have the best bond with their Rockruff can unlock the Dusk form."

"Dusk form... So that's what it's called..."

Of course, there are other ways to unlock these powers." Nagito said, "If you want, I can show you a demonstration."

Hajime was a bit curious, so he excepted the offer.

"Alright, then. Watch carefully." Nagito said, as he released an Pidgeot out of a Pokeball.

Soon, Nagio's smile was replaced with a determined look. After a shout of "Soul Link!" both he and his Pidgeot were surrounded by aura. Then, the Pidgeot seemed to have evolved even further into a more powerful looking falcon, which was much more colorful then it's previous form.

"What was that?!" Hajime said in awe.

"That was the power of the perfect bond and hope of trainer and Pokemon." Nagito said. "It's called a 'Soul Link.' When a trainer and a Pokemon's bond and hope become great enough, their heart, mind, and soul are synchronized, and for some Pokemon, like my Pidgeot, Zeke, they can even go through a temporary transformation. 'Mega Evolution,' some call it."

"That's so cool!" Zeroken said.

"You have a Treeko and a Heracross, right?" Nagito said, "Well, Heracross and Sceptile are Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution through Soul Link."

"What about me?" Zero asked.

"Sorry, but Lycanrock Mega Evolutions haven't been discovered yet." Nagito said, "But I wouldn't lose hope. Some Pokemon who weren't capable of it before are capable of it now, such as Beedrill and Lopunny. Maybe you'll discover your full potential, and Mega Evolve some day."

"Awesome!" Zero cheered.

"But, despite the fact that not all Pokemon can Mega Evolve just yet, each can use powerful attacks that are exclusive to the Soul Link ability. We called them 'Soul Attacks' for a time, but some trainers call the 'Z-Moves.'"

Nagito crouched down to Zero's level.

"And between you and me, I heard there's a Z-Move only Lycanrock can use."

"Sweet..." Zeroken said.

"The Soul Link sounds pretty amazing..." Hajime said.

"Yes, but it does have it's drawback..." said Nagito, "Remember, when the Soul Link is activated, the trainer's heart, mind, and soul are synchronized with their Pokemon. That means whatever the Pokemon feels, the trainer will feel as well. Whatever damage was inflicted on the Pokemon will also be inflicted on the trainer... And if the Pokemon dies in battle while the Soul Link is activated..."

"...The trainer goes with them..." Hajime finished.

"Exactly." said Nagito, "So if you find yourself able to use it, make sure you use it wisely."

"Yeah. I got it."

"Well, then... I have some errands to run, so I have to make my leave. Maybe we'll see each other again some time."

After that, Nagito headed to Prof. Fujisaki's lab.

"Soul Link sounds so awesome, Haji-Man!" Zero cheered, "You think we'll be able to use it?"

"Maybe." Hajime said, "Come on. Let's finish training the others, and then we'll meet up with Chiaki."

* * *

Back at the Trainer School, Chiaki continued to train with the students. Their was much bonding between them.

"Even though it's not as strong as Wild Charge, Thunder Fang is much more convenient." Killia said to the Shinx, "Not only does the move have no recoil damage, but it can both paralyze opponents **and** make them flinch."

"I guess that **is** pretty useful..." Coden said.

Masaru and Chiaki were watching Killia train Coden.

"Your Lucario's an awesome teacher." said Masaru, "Do you think with his help, Goku will become an Infernape much faster?"

"I'm sure he could." Chiaki said.

"I do like sparring with other Fighting Types." said Goku.

While that was going on, Yoshimitsu spent more time with Popo.

"Not only art thou lovely, but thou art hiding great power within thee." said the Nuzleaf.

"Popo is?" asked the Steenee.

"Indeed." said Yoshimitsu, "Thou must have inherited these powers from thy ancestors. Would thou allow me to unlock these hidden powers?"

"Okay." said Popo, "Thank you, Mr. Yoshi."

"The formalities aren't needed, but welcomed nonetheless." Yoshimitsu said before he started training the Steenee.

Joshua had something to discuss with Vixen.

"You're capable of using psychic powers, aren't you?" asked the Espurr.

"I know Psybeam, yes." said the Fennekin.

"Would you allow me to help you strengthen your Psybeam all the way to Psychic?"

"You know Psychic?"

"Nagisa borrowed the TM once. Now that I learned it, I can teach you how to use it."

"I guess... That would be useful."

"Alright then." said Joshua, "Let's begin."

The trainers and Pokemon continued to train and bond with each other, when the girl with the Pikachu hoodie entered the room.

"Ah, another visitor." said Kiyotaka, "That must mean the Gym's still not open..."

Kotoko began to squeal.

"Oh my gosh! A Pikachu!" she cried, "It's one of the most iconic and adorable Pokemon in the world!"

Kiyotaka walked towards the Pikachu girl and welcomed her.

"I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Feel free to train with my students until the Gym opens. I'm sure it will make the battle against the Gym Leader much easier."

"Um... Thank you." said the Pikachu girl.

The girl and her Pikachu introduced themselves.

"Hello... I'm Aiko Umesawa, and this is my Pikachu, Usalia."

"'Usalia?'" said Welch, "That sounds more like a name you'd give to a rabbit Pokemon than a mouse Pokemon."

"Well, when I hatched from my egg, Aiko thought I was some kind of bunny, plip." said the Pikachu, "I think it had to do with my ears. Even though she found out I was actually a mouse, I liked the name Usalia and kept it ever sense, plip."

"Your verbal tick's totes adorbs!" cried Kotoko.

"Popo better take notes so she can be the most adorable Pokemon in Kotoko's eyes." said the Steenee.

"I don't think thou has much to worry about." said Yoshmitsu, "Thou art already the most adorable Pokemon in **my** eyes."

"The fact that you're so honest about your feelings makes it tough to tease you about it." said Welch.

"Honesty is trait of honor all warriors should have." said the Nuzleaf.

"Wow...! You're so cool, Mr. Yoshi!" Popo said.

"Thy compliment is very much appreciated." said Yoshimitsu.

"Anyway..." Usalia said, "We better start training, Aiko."

"Okay..." Aiko said, as she took out two more Pokemon from their Poke-Balls. They were an Ampharos and a Ribombee.

"Judging from your Pokemon, your favorite color must be yellow.." Nagisa said.

"It is." said Aiko, "I want to catch as many yellow Pokemon as possible."

"It's good to have a goal, Aiko." Kiyotaka said, "It gives your journey more meaning, as well as make it more worthwhile."

Aiko nodded with understanding. Goku walked up to the Ampharos soon after.

"You look pretty strong." he said, "How about a match?"

"Alright." said the yellow sheep Pokemon, as she got herself ready for battle.

"Ha ha! This is exciting!" said the Monferno, as he got himself prepared as well.

As Goku and the Ampharos began to fight, Usalia walked over towards Coden and Killia and observed what they were doing.

"Alright. Now, try using Thunder Fang again." the Lucario said, "I'll be your target."

"Are you sure, Master Killia?" Coden asked.

"It's okay. I can take it." Killia answered.

"Alright..." said Coden, as he charged for an attack.

The Shinx attacked with his electrified fangs, and Killia stood his ground.

"...Good." Killia said, "Now, try using Charge, and then use Thunder Fang again."

Coden did what his teacher said. Energy filled the electric lynx' body, and when he came in for an attack, it's power was doubled.

"Great." said the Lucario, "With a combo like this, you won't always have to count on Wild Charge to preform a powerful Electric attack."

"Did you say 'Wild Charge,' plip?" asked the Pikachu.

"Yeah." Killia answered, "It's a move Coden knows, but is a little too powerful for him to use without fainting."

"Hmm... Maybe I can help, plip." Usalia said, "I knew how to use Volt Tackle at a young age. At first, the move was too powerful for me, but I was eventually able to learn how to use it properly when my father trained me. If I learned how to use Volt Tackle, then I'm sure you'll be able to use Wild Charge, plip."

"We appreciated your help, Usalia." Killia said.

"Yeah, Thank you." said Coden.

"Sure thing, plip." said the Pikachu.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Ribombee watched Joshua teach Vixen how to use Psychic.

"This move will take more mind power then Psybeam." the Espurr said, "It will kind of be like combining a psychic blast with telekinesis."

"Got it." the Fennekin said.

"Alright. You see that ball over there? Try hitting it with a Psychic Attack."

Vixen did what Joshua said. Unfortunately, the attempt wasn't very successful, and instead used Psybeam again.

"Don't worry. It takes time to master." Joshua said, "You'll get it in time. Keep trying."

Vixen continued to attack the ball. After many Psybeams, one of the attacks became Psyshock.

"There. You're getting it. That's an improvement from Psybeam. Let's try some more."

Vixen gave some more tries, hit with more Psybeams, with occasional Psyshocks. The Ribombee cheered in the background for every Psyshock she manage to use. Despite the fact the Ribombee cheered with very quite 'yays,' Vixen could tell that the cheers were genuine, and that the cute little fairy was just shy.

* * *

Chiaki watched as all the Pokemon got along and worked together in order to get stronger. She smiled at the sight, but was caught off guard when Aiko suddenly spoke up.

"Do you think one of the reasons Pokemon find trainers is that they get lonely once they move out of their environment?"

"...Maybe." Chiaki said, "Going on a journey with friends is much better then going alone."

"Yeah..." Aiko said, "Pokemon seem to get stronger when they're with someone than when they're on their own. Maybe it works that way so Pokemon never have to be alone when they grow stronger."

"In a way... I think Pokemon help us trainers grow stronger, too."

"Really? How?"

"Well, when we win or lose, we learn from our accomplishments and our mistakes. Every battle is an opportunity to learn, and gives us hope that we can move forward. Along with that, we build a powerful bond with our partners. The stronger the bond, the stronger our Pokemon become. So in order for them to become stronger, we have to be stronger as well. Not through sheer power, but through hope."

"Hope, huh...?" Aiko said, "Your Pokemon must be the strongest in this building, then."

"Well... I believe they're strong." said Chiaki, "But I can tell the children here also have hope for their Pokemon. Just by looking at them, I can see they share a strong bond with their partners. They're going to grow up to be strong trainers in the future."

The two girls continued to observe as the children and Pokemon trained together.

"...Guess you're right." Aiko said.

Ryoko and her Pokemon soon entered the building.

"Hi, Ryoko." Chiaki greeted.

"Hey, Chiaki." Ryoko greeted back.

"Big Sis!" Kotoko cheered.

"Kotoko's your sister?" Chiaki asked.

"Not biologically... I don't think. The kids just call me 'Big Sis' is all."

"What did you catch this time?" Kotoko asked.

"I think you'll like this one." Ryoko said, as she let out Haruhi.

"A Buneary!" Kotoko cheered again, "So cute, so cute, so cute!"

"I think if this keeps up, Kotoko's gonna die from cuteness overdose." Masaru said.

"A death I'd gladly accept." Kotoko said.

Loki headed Killia's way.

"Hey, rival!" he said.

"Hello, Loki." the Lucario said.

"When you're done here, you up for another battle?"

"You'll have to wait in line. Goku requested one first."

"Should've known. That monkey's always challenging strong opponents. He's like an anime character or something."

The Zoroark leaned into the wall nearby and continued to watch. While that was going on, Ryoko talked to the newcomer.

"You're here because the Gym's closed, right." she asked.

Aiko nodded.

"That guy's always running off somewhere. It frustrates a lot of trainers."

"I'm sure he'll make it back soon." said Kyube, "He may run off, but he's never gone for too long."

"I hope Hajime shows up soon..." said Chiaki.

"'Hajime?'" Ryoko repeated.

"He's a childhood friend of mine." Chiaki said, "We promised to have our journey together. But right now he's training back at our hometown."

"I'm sure he'll be done soon enough." said Killia, "I could sense with my Aura that Zeroken was close to evolving. He might feel satisfied once that happens."

"That means Zero will be a Lycanroc when we see him again." Chiaki said, "I wonder what form he'll take own. Probably Midday, since it's not night time yet."

"He might surprise us." said the Lucario, "I always felt like there was something... 'Special' about Zero."

* * *

Back at Caerus Town, Hajime finished the last bit of his training. Despite the fact that Zeroken evolved, he wanted to make sure Juto and Blue Beetle could keep up with him.

"You guys are doing great." Hajime said to them.

"Check it out, amigo!" said Blue Beetle, "I learned how to use Brick Break! That'll be a useful Fighting Type move."

"It'll take some time before you'll learn Mega Horn, so I'll see if I can get a hold of the X-scissor TM to make up for that."

"...You were really dedicated to making us stronger, Hajime." said Juto, as he glowed and grew in size, taking on a form of a larger lizard with a large leaf on his head.

"Whoa! You evolved into a Grovyle, Juto!" said Blue Beetle, "Way-da-go, man!"

"Good job, Juto." said Hajime, "I think we've trained enough now."

"Are you sure?" Juto asked, "I was thinking you'd want me to be a Sceptile before we're finished."

"Grovyle's good enough for now." said Hajime, "Besides, I didn't want to overwork you guys."

"Well, too much training can be exhausting." said the Grovyle.

"Let's stop at the Pokemon Center, and then we'll be on our way..."

"Wait...!" said a familiar voice, "I'll take care of healing your Pokemon. But you'll need to head to Lethe Town right away!"

Hajime and his Pokemon looked in the direction the voice was coming from and noticed Nagito and Chihiro.

"What's wrong?" Hajime asked.

"I got a call from Lethe Town." said Nagito, "There's a spy from Team Chaos there, and they just acted. Team Chaos grunts are on the move."

"Chiaki's probably there." said Chihiro, "She might need your help fighting against them."

"I don't think she'll need help..." said Hajime, "Chiaki's a strong trainer..."

"Even so, she's never fought a member of Team Chaos before, am I right?" asked Nagito.

"Well... No." Hajime answered.

"The grunts may not give her any trouble, but the spy is most likely a Chaos Admin." Nagito said, "They will fight ruthlessly, and will always have a Shadow Pokemon on them."

"I feel it'll be safer if we fought them together." Chihiro said.

"You're coming with us, Chihiro?" Hajime asked.

"I've got some business to take care of at Lethe town. Plus, I'm sure Sync will be able to help you guys stop Team Chaos."

Chihiro then let out a Gallade from his Poke Ball.

"Yeah! Those puny grunts won't stand a chance against me!" the Gallade bragged.

"Focus, Sync." Chihiro said, "Right now, I need you to use Teleport and take us to Lethe Town."

"Got it!" said the Gallade, "Everyone, hold on!"

Sync the Gallade then used Teleport, and the crew was sent to Lethe Town.

* * *

A group of Chaos Grunts were near Lethe Town's Pokemon Center. One of them took out a walky-talky and began to talk to his boss on the other side.

"Sir." he said, "We have the Poke-Center surrounded. Soon, we'll have a fresh batch of Pokemon ready to be converted into Shadow Pokemon."

"Excellent." said the voice on the walky-talky, sounding very distorted as if using a voice disguiser, "Our master will be very pleased."

Another grunt walked out of the Poke-Center soon after. This man was holding a bag of Poke Balls.

"It looks like he's finished, sir." said the grunt on the walky-talky.

The grunt with the bag of Poke Balls walked up to his comrades and held up the bag.

"Okay. I grabbed their balls. Now what?"

There was a short silence, and then the other grunts burst into laughter.

"STOP **LAUGHING!** " yelled the grunt with the bag of Poke Balls.

"Enough." said the voice on the walky-talky, "Hurry up and bring those to headquarters. And if anyone gets in your way that's giving you two much trouble, have the Ultimate Bodyguards deal with them."

"Yes sir." said the grunt on the walky-talky.

"Over and out." said the voice on the walky-talky, before hanging up.

The other grunts then looked at the one holding the bag of Poke Balls.

"So, did you have fun grabbing their balls?" one asked.

"Shut up!" said the grunt with the bag.

* * *

"That's it." Joshua said, "You're doing great, Vixen."

The Fennekin was getting the hang of using Psychic. It wasn't perfect, but she was pulling it off more frequently now.

"Yay..." the Ribombee cheered quietly.

"It seems that when you try using Psychic, you'll either use that, or Psyshock. But I'd say at this point, at least eighty percent of the attempts will be Psychic. With a little more training, it'll be a hundred percent in no time."

"Good job, Vixen." said the Ribombee.

"Thanks, Fluttershy." said the Fennekin.

As the training was going on, someone came into the trainer school. Aiko recognized him immediately.

"Hey..." said Aiko, "It's that guy..."

"It's Mr. Leon!" said Masaru.

"Hey, kids." he said, "I got the Poke Balls for next weeks' lesson."

"Did you bring Poke Balls that'll help me catch the cutest Pokemon?" asked Kotoko.

"Yeah, there're Poke Balls that can help with that." Leon said, "But I'll let Kiyotaka tell you about them during the lesson. He **is** the teacher, after all."

Leon noticed Ryoko nearby.

"Hey, Ryoko." he said, "Helping Kiyotaka out?"

"Actually, I'm kind of helping Yasuke with something." Ryoko said, "It's classified information, though, so don't ask."

"If you say so." Leon chuckled.

Leon soon looked in the direction Aiko was.

"We meet again, Wicked Eyes." he said.

"Yeah..." Aiko said, "But my name's actually Aiko."

"Right." he said, "I'll remember that."

Leon then looked at Chiaki.

"Waiting for the Gym Leader, I assume." he said.

Chiaki nodded.

"If only that guy would stay still. He's such a hopeless Gym Leader."

"Oh, come now." said Kiyotaka, "Sure, he's gone most of the time, but he's a skilled trainer. Other then tardiness, he makes a **great** Gym Leader."

"So, what kind of Pokemon does the Gym Leader use?" Chiaki asked.

"Normal Type." Ryoko answered, "He specializes in using Normal Type Pokemon."

"That guy's got some serious skills..." Leon said, "But he's modest as hell. He always says he only became a Gym Leader because he got lucky."

"You shouldn't have any problem with him, Chiaki." Masaru said, "You have a Lucario. He'll mop the floor with him."

"Maybe..." said Chiaki, "But I want to give the others a chance to battle."

"That's a good strategy to have, Chiaki." said Kiyotaka, "By having all your Pokemon experience battle, they'll become stronger together."

"That's what I believe, too!" said Masaru, "That's why when I become a trainer, I'm gonna have **all** my Pokemon grow strong!"

Before anything else could be said, a loud alarm came from outside.

"What's that?" Chiaki asked.

"That's the Chaos Alarm..." Ryoko said, "That means Team Chaos is on the move."

"I hoped the time would never come when I had to say this..." said Kiyotaka, "But everyone to the back room! This is **not** a drill!"

The kids and their Pokemon did what their teacher said, and ran to the back room. All except Masaru.

"We can help fight them off!" he said.

"Yeah! We can take them." said Goku, "I've trained hard for this moment."

"It's too dangerous!" Kiyotaka said, "Now, go to the back room with the others."

"Aw, come on!" Masaru complained, but went to the back room nonetheless.

"Alright, Akira!" Kiyotaka said, as he let out an Arcanine out of his Poke Ball, "It's time to deal with these criminals!"

"Yes, sir." said the Arcanine.

The teacher and his fire dog then ran out the school.

"Loki! Kyube! Let's go!" Ryoko said.

"Don't forget me!" said the Buneary.

"They may have Shadow Pokemon with them." said Ryoko, "Probably best that you sit this one out."

Haruhi pouted before Ryoko returned her into her Poke Ball.

"I'll help." Chiaki said.

"Me too!" said Aiko, "Or at least... I'll try."

"After seeing you two train, I believe you guys can handle yourselves." said Ryoko, "But remember that these guys may have Shadow Pokemon. They will not be like fighting anything in the wild."

"I know..." said Chiaki, "But we can't just sit here and do nothing."

"I say let them help." said Leon, "The more help, the merrier."

"...Okay." Ryoko said, "But don't bite off more then you can chew. If it gets too dangerous, then find somewhere safe to hide. Otherwise you may get your Pokemon... Or even **yourselves** killed."

Aiko began to quiver in fear, but then stopped herself.

"No..." she said, "I can't be afraid... Not anymore..."

"It's okay, Aiko." said Usalia, "I'm scared, too. It's not that you can't be afraid; Just don't let fear stop you from doing the right thing, plip."

"...Yeah." said Aiko, "...Okay."

"You guys ready?" Ryoko asked.

Chiaki and Aiko nodded.

"Then let's kick some Team Chaos butt!" said the red head.

* * *

Chihiro, Hajime, and Nagito made it to Lethe Town, thanks to Sync the Gallade.

"Sync, go with Hajime and help protect this place." Chihiro said, "And be careful out there.

"You do the same, Chihiro." said Sync.

Chihiro nodded before he leaving.

"Where's he going exactly?" asked Hajime.

"That's classified." said Sync, "Worry about Team Chaos."

"Fine." said Hajime.

"Zeke, let's go!" Nagito said, as he let out his Pidgeot.

It wasn't long before they noticed men and women dressed in black and white roaming around and trying to steal Pokemon from people not strong enough to fight back.

"Hey!" Hajime yelled, "Leave those people alone, Team Chaos!"

"Make us!" one of the grunts said, as they all through out Poke Balls, each releasing either mean looking Panchums, or angry Golbats.

"Let's go, Blue Beetle!" said Hajime, as he released his Heracross from his Poke Ball.

Blue Beetle was in front of a Golbat and got ready to fight.

"Aw, yeah!" he said, "Beetles verses Bats!"

"Bats **eat** Beetles." said the Golbat.

"...That escalated quickly." said the Heracross.

"Leave them to me!" said Sync, as he shot Psycho Cuts at the all the Golbat.

"Blue Beetle! Ariel Ace!" Hajime said.

Blue Beatle flew in the air and attacked a group of Panchum one by one.

"Zeke, you do the same." said Nagito.

Together alongside the Heracross, Aquila attacked some Panchum.

"Damn it! They're strong!" said one of the grunts.

"This calls for drastic measures!" said another grunt, "Call the Madarai Brothers!"

"Who?" Blue Beetle asked.

"Oh, you'll find out shortly..." said the grunt, who took out a remote and press the button on it.

Once the button was pressed, a Claydol that used Teleport appeared, and with the Claydol were two large men with impossibly long tongues. They were both identical to each other.

"...You called?" one said.

"Take down those two, and steal their Pokemon." said the grunt.

"Very well." said one of the bodyguards.

The two large men let out their Pokemon. One had a Arbok, while the other had a Seviper. However, something was unusual about the both of them. They had piercing red eyes, and black aura surrounding them.

"Are those...?" Hajime began to ask.

"Yeah..." said Sync, "Those are Shadow Pokemon."

* * *

Meanwhile, Chiaki and crew were fighting Team Chaos members on their side.

"I'm going to look for Kiyotaka and back him up." said Leon, "It's dangerous to battle Team Chaos alone. Will you guys be okay?"

"We'll be fine." said Ryoko, "Go help Taka."

Leon nodded and went after Kiyotaka.

"Look, I really don't want to hurt any of you lovely ladies." said one of the grunts, "So why don't you just hand over your Pokemon, and nobody gets hurt."

"Hey! Don't you go flirting with Ryoko, you Chaos scum!" Loki scolded the grunt, "She's **lightyears** out of your league!"

"Harsh!" said the grunt, as he threw a Poke Ball and released a Panchum.

Kyube immediately knocked out the panda Pokemon with a Psychic attack.

"Give up." said the Espeon, "You're no match for us."

"You may have us beat when it comes to strength..." said one of the grunts, "But we have you beat when it comes to numbers."

The grunts let out a wave of Panchum, Golbat, and Houndour, which surrounded Chiaki and the others.

"Something tells me these guys don't really have any kind of bond with their Pokemon." Chiaki said.

"What's bond got to do with anything?" one of the grunts asked.

"Our bound..." Killia said, "Is our strength!"

The Lucario shot Aura Spheres at the Houndour, taking them out one by one. Usalia then struck the Golbat with Thunderbolt, and Kyube and Loki teamed up to take out the Panchum, Kyube using Psychic, while Loki used Extrasensory.

"Damn it, I hate dealing with trainers like you!" one of the grunts complained, "That's it! Time to call some serious backup!"

One of the grunts then took out a remote and pressed the button. A Claydol then appeared, and two tall men who resembled snakes appeared.

"...Having more trouble?" one asked, "You already called Misshiki and Nissiki here earlier."

"Huh?! You mean you two weren't the first Madarai Brothers to show up here?" asked the grunt, "That means there are other strong trainers around here somewhere..."

"Consider this an advantage." said the other snake-like man, "The more strong trainers, the more strong Shadow Pokemon we'll get out of them."

"Who are those guys?" Chiaki asked.

"Those are the Madarai Brothers." Ryoko said, "They are Team Chaos' Ultimate Bodyguards, and some of the strongest members of the team, only to be beaten by the Admins. Many Pokemon, and even trainers lost their lives to those guys."

Aiko began to tremble.

"I... Don't want to die..." she said.

"We won't let that happen." said Usalia, "We'll protect you, plip."

"I don't want you guys to die neither..."

"We don't plan on dying, Aiko." Usalia told her trainer.

"You're Pokemon proved to be very capable when they were training with us in the Trainer School." said Killia, "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Yeah... Okay." said Aiko.

"How touching..." said one of the brothers, "But I'm afraid we can not hold back on you just because you're scared. Those Pokemon you have are essential to our master's plan."

"Understand that this is nothing personal. Just orders." said the other brother, "If you surrender, then we can promise you that you'll walk out of this alive and unharmed. Resist us, and no such promise can be made. We recommend you pick the former."

"Like hell, I'll surrender!" Ryoko said, "I'll take you guys down and make you talk! Your boss is the reason that I lost my memories, and I won't quit until I get them back!"

"Then you leave us no choice." said one of the Madarai Brothers, as they both let out their Pokemon, "Don't blame us if you get killed."

One of the brothers had an Armaldo, while the other had an Onyx. Both had red eyes, was a dark shade of their original color, and were covered in black aura.

"...Shadow Pokemon." Killia said.

"Yeah..." said Ryoko.

Aiko trembled some more until Ryoko put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you want, you can just leave this to us." she said, "We'll make sure nothing happens to you or your Pokemon."

Ryoko then faced the snake-like men again.

"Are you ready, Chiaki?" Ryoko asked the girl next to her.

"Yeah... I think." Chiaki said.

"Then let's take them down!" said the red read.

Chiaki nodded.

"Facing us means you've thrown away your lives." said one of the Madarai Brothers, "But so be it. We'll take your Pokemon away from you, even if it means we have to murder you."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	4. Chapter 4: When Chaos Strikes Part 2

Yasuke noticed that Team Chaos was making a move. There were grunts running all over the place, Still, no sign of the spy.

"What a pain." he said, as he got out a Poke Ball and threw it, "Take care of these small fries, Eli."

An Alakazam came out of the Poke Ball and started blasting Psychic attacks at any Panchum and Golbat that got in his way. As for any who had Houndour, Eli used Focus Blast.

"Damn it!" said the grunt, who was about to press a button on a remote, but Eli destroyed it with Psychic.

"Run for it, guys!" said another grunt, as they tried to took off.

This proved to be futile, as Eli grabbed them all with Psychic.

"I see you've got something that doesn't belong to you." Eli said, as he used his psychic powers to take the bag of Poke-Balls the grunts had.

"You stole these from the Poke-Center, didn't you?" said Yasuke, "Eli, use teleport and bring them back."

"Yes, sir." said Eli, who teleport immediately afterwards.

When Eli disappeared, the grunts fell to the ground.

"Why you...!" said one of the grunts, who was about ready to run up to Yasuke and punch him.

But before he had the chance, Eli returned and trapped them in Psychic once again.

"You idiots better leave before I make you wish you were never born." Yasuke said.

Eli then dropped them, and the grunts ran off in fear. After getting rid of the feeble grunts, Yasuke moved on.

"We have to find that spy and take them down." Yasuke said, "If the wrong person bumps into him, lives will be lost."

"Understood, sir." said Eli.

Yasuke and his Alakazam continued to move forward, when he noticed some familiar faces fighting some of the Madarai Brothers and watched them from behind the corner of a building.

"So, Komaeda finally came back. And that's Fujisaki's Gallade, so he must have brought the Professor's kid with him."

However, he noticed a stranger among them.

"That boy with them..." he said, "He has... A Dusk Form Lycanrock... Only trainers with the strongest bond with their Pokemon can unlock that form..."

Yasuke began to chuckle afterwards.

"Perfect..." he said, "I may not have found the spy, but I did find **something** I've been looking for..."

"Sir...?" Eli asked.

"Don't worry about it." said Yasuke, "Right now, we've got to snag those Shadow Pokemon once those two weaken them..."

* * *

"Fire Blast!" Kiyotaka called out.

The Arkanine shot a blast of fire that was shaped like a Japanese symbol.

"Damn it!" said one of the grunts, "This guy's tough!"

"You're deeds are not welcome in a school environment!" Kiyotaka said, "Leave now, or I'll have to drive you out!"

"I wish we had a remote..." said one of the grunts, "They didn't make enough for all the squads here..."

"Hey!" someone called out.

Kiyotaka saw Leon the moment he turned around. Beside him was a Magmar.

"Leon, my friend!" Kiyotaka said, "It's good to see you. Come and help me take these menaces down."

Kiyotaka set his attention back at the grunts, and noticed something strange. They were all smiling now.

"Is something humorous to you?" he asked.

Suddenly, he felt a strike at his neck, and soon found himself on the ground paralyzed. Next to him was Akira in the same state as him. Kiyotaka then looked at his attacker; A Magmar... **Leon's** Magmar.

"Good work, Napalm." Leon said.

"Leon..." Kiyotaka said weakly, "Why...?"

"Sorry, Kiyo. It's nothing personal." Leon said, "It's just orders."

He then walked towards the grunts.

"Thanks for saving our behinds, boss." one said.

"You're... Part of Team Chaos...?" Kiyotaka asked.

"Yeah, I am." he said, "And I had orders to grab some Pokemon from Lethe Town. Rest assured Akira and your student's Pokemon are safe."

"I can't... Believe this... I thought... You were... Our friend... I trusted you..."

"Look, I may be a Team Chaos Admin, but it doesn't mean I don't care about those kids. I have my own reasons of joining the team. And believe me, I don't want to fight you. That's why all I did was temporarily paralyzed you. Just... Stay out of the way, and nobody gets hurt."

Leon then left with the grunts. Kiyotaka was able to hear him having a conversation with them.

"Remember, the student's Pokemon are off limits. However, I saw some visitors come in with some pretty impressive Pokemon to take. A girl with a Lucario, and another girl with an Amphros."

'Oh no...' Kiyotaka thought, 'Chiaki and Aiko are in danger! I have to warn them...!'

Unfortunately, there was nothing Kiyotaka and Akira could do. They couldn't move a muscle.

"Damn it!" Kiyotaka yelled.

* * *

"Thunder Fang!" Chiaki shouted.

Coden bit the enemy Armaldo with electrified jaws.

"Shadow Slash." said one of the Madarai Brothers.

The Armaldo then slashed Coden with a sharp claw.

"Hey, Chiaki!" Loki said, "Why aren't you using Killia? He's your strongest Pokemon, right?"

"Like I said before, I want to give the others a chance to get stronger and catch up to Killia..."

"This is no time for that, Chiaki." said Ryoko, "This isn't just a typical battle anymore! This is a life or death situation! You need to use your strongest Pokemon!"

"Coden was **trained** by my strongest Pokemon." Chiaki said, "I'm sure he can handle this."

"I wouldn't say that." said the Madarai brother who owned the Shadow Armaldo, "Take a look. Your Shinx is already struggling just from one hit, while my Armaldo isn't even breaking a sweat. You're on the losing side of this battle."

Chiaki noticed how right he was. Coden looked as if he was already getting worn out from this fight, while the Shadow Armaldo showed no signs of damage.

"Coden...?" Chiaki said.

"That... Last attack was pretty strong." the Shinx said, "But... I can... Still fight."

"I can switch you out if this is getting too difficult for you..." said Chiaki.

"It's okay..." Coden said, "I can go on..."

"...Alright." Chiaki said, "But don't push yourself too hard."

"If you're done giving each other false hope, then I'll continue striking you down." the Madarai Brother said, "Shadow Rampage."

The Armaldo let out a mighty roar and went berserk. He then charged at Coden, who began dodging the slashes thrown at him.

"Where you beat me in power, I beat you in speed." Coden said, "I'll take you down eventually!"

Coden then bit the Shadow Pokemon with a Thunder Fang, then continue dodging until he found another opening.

"A hit and run tactic." said the Madarai Brother, "Don't think for a second that you can win with that kind of strategy."

Despite his words, Chiaki continued the hit and run tactic.

"Enough of this!" said the Madarai brother, "Shadow Stones!"

The Armaldo used a dark version of Stone Edge. Giant sharp rocks were summoned to strike Coden, but fortunately, they missed.

"Good job, Coden!" Chiaki said, "Now... Volt Switch!"

"...What?!" the Madarai brother.

Coden was surrounded by lightning and struck the prehistoric shrimp monster before returning to his Poke-Ball, and switching out with Killia.

"Close Combat!" said Chiaki.

The Jackal Pokemon came in close and struck the Armaldo with many powerful punches. The Armaldo then fell to the ground after the attack.

"...I must admit, that was clever." said the Madarai Brother, "...Return..."

However, before he could return his Shadow Pokemon into his Poke-Ball, it was grabbed by an energy beam shaped like a hand.

"What...?! No!" he said, "My Shadow Pokemon's been snagged!"

"...Yasuke." said Ryoko.

Coming out of the shadows was the dark haired young man with his Alakazam. He was wearing some kind of glove, and in his hand was a black and white Poke-Ball with a red lightning bolt on it.

"...You guys hurry up and finish that Onyx." he said, "These aren't the only Shadow Pokemon here."

"Got it." Ryoko said, "Loki, return!"

"Return?" Loki repeated, "Why?"

"I have an idea on how to end this quickly." said the red head, "Do you trust me?"

"...Yeah, I trust you." said the Zoroark, "Do what you gotta do."

Ryoko had Loki returned into his Poke-Ball, and then threw another in the air... Except... It **wasn't** a Poke-Ball at all.

"An apple?" Aiko said.

Yasuke just smirked for some reason.

"You're about to use an old friend of mine, aren't you?"

Instead of answering Yasuke directly, Ryoko just threw a Poke-Ball near the apple. Once the Poke-Ball opened, the apple was reduced to a core in the blink of an eye, and in the sky was a Gengar.

"Thanks for the treat, Ryoko." the Ghost Pokemon said.

"Anytime, Ryuk." said the red head, "Now, you mind putting this guy to sleep?"

"No problem." Ryuk said.

The Gengar got into the Shadow Onyx' face in incredible speed, and stared into it's eyes. He was using a close ranged Hypnosis. The Shadow Onyx then let out a yawn and fell asleep.

"No...!" said the Madarai brother, "Wake up!"

The Shadow Onyx remained asleep.

"...Nightmare." Ryoko said.

The Gengar cast a hex on the giant rock snake, which began to tremble.

"No! Get up! Get up!"

The Onyx was still asleep.

"...Dream Eater." said Ryoko.

Ryuk opened his mouth wide and began to absorb the dream energy from the Onyx.

"Mm-mm-mmm! Nightmares sure are tasty." the Gengar said.

The Onyx was now out cold, and Yusake quickly snagged it.

"I suggest you two leave." Yasuke said.

"Damn it!" said one of the Madarai brothers, "We may not be Pokemon, but we've trained long and hard enough to fight back!"

"Eli." Yasuke simply said.

The Alakazam quickly put the two Madarai brothers to sleep using Hypnosis. He then looked at the Claydol.

"Send them back." he told it.

For some reason, the Claydol didn't hesitate, and did what it was told.

"Eli..." Ryoko said, as she walked towards the Alakazam, "How've you been, buddy?"

"I've been well, Ryoko." said Eli, "Yasuke's been treating me well."

Chiaki walked towards Ryoko.

"You seem rather close to this Alakazam." Chiaki said.

"Well, Eli use to be my Pokemon." said Ryoko said, "Back then, he was a Kadabra. But then one day Yasuke traded his Haunter for him, and they both evolved afterwards."

"Then the Haunter you speak of is..."

"That's right." Ryuk said before Chiaki could finish, " **I'm** that Haunter."

"...Enough chit chat. Let's get going." Yasuke said, "Nagito and some guy with a Lycanroc are battling another pair of Madarai brothers."

"Someone with a Lycanroc...?" Chiaki said, "I know someone with a Rockruff... It might be Hajime!"

"Which means Zeroken evolved after all." Killia said, "I knew he would soon enough..."

"Let's hurry, everyone." Yasuke said.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the secret lab, Monaca continued to work on the purification. She began letting out a few moans do to the hard work and boredom.

"Need some help?" said a nearby voice.

Monaca looked over her shoulder to see who it was. Who she saw was a young man with a face so feminine, he could pass as a girl easily.

"...Oh. It's you." she said, "Why are you here?"

"I got the message that Team Chaos was attacking, and that we need to hurry and complete the Purification Machine."

"Good. I could use a break."

The green haired girl moved out of the way and let the boy take over.

"...Hey, Fujisaki..." Monaca said, "Why did you and Gekkogahara have to make that sappy function to where a Shadow Pokemon can only be purified if a good trainer spends time with it...?"

"You mean have it form a bond?" the boy said, "It's actually more mandatory then you realize. We can't force purification on a Shadow Pokemon. It has to open it's heart first. Trying to force purification can lead to some tragic results, such as memory loss, blindness, even death."

"Well, I wish you could find a faster way then have them spend time with a trainer."

"There is..." Fujisaki said, "We discovered a way to have a Pokemon to open up it's heart without having it spend time with a trainer."

"Really?" Monaca asked, "How's that?"

Chihiro Fujisaki turned to face Monaca, showing her a flash drive he had.

"It's called the Neo World Program." he said, "This will allow the Shadow Pokemon to go into a virtual world that will allow them to remember their past. After spending time with Non-Shadow Pokemon, they'll come out completely purified."

"So that means..."

"Yeah." said Chihiro, "It requires other Pokemon for it to be completely effective. Fortunately, any Non-Shadow Pokemon can come and go as they please. The Shadow Pokemon have to stay in until purification levels are complete, though."

"I guess that makes things a little easier." said Monaca.

After a little more typing, Chihiro inserted the flash drive.

"This will take some time to download." Chihiro said, "Be sure to let me know when it's finished, okay?"

The professor's son then put on one of the gloves and grabbed some black and white Poke-Balls.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Monaca asked.

"I'm going to give the others a hand." Chihiro answered, "Team Chaos are on the move, and I know a thing or two about catching Shadow Pokemon."

"...And you trust me alone with the flash drive?" asked Monaca.

"Sure." Chihiro answered, "You've been a big help so far. And besides... Everyone deserves a second chance."

As Chihiro was about to leave, Monaca pondered about what he said.

"...Wait!" she shouted.

The moment Chihiro turned around, Monaca threw him a Poke-Ball.

"I may not be able to help you out there... But I'm sure **he** can." she told him.

Chihiro nodded and went his way, leaving Monaca to ponder more.

'...Everyone deserves a second chance, huh?' she thought, '...I wish that were true...'

* * *

"Ariel Ace!" both Hajime and Nagito shouted.

Both the Heracross and the Pidgeot flew in the air and made an Ariel attack on the snake Pokemon.

"Shadow Fang." the Madarai Brothers said in unison.

The Arbok and the Seviper countered with shadowy poisonous jaws.

"Oww..." Blue Beetle said, "I think it might have poisoned me..."

"Return, Blue Beetle." Hajime said, as he had his Heracross retreat to his Poke-Ball, "You're up, Zeroken!" Hajime then let out his Lycanroc.

"Yeah! Let's go!" said Zero, ready for battle.

"Shadow Glare." the brother with the Arbok said.

The large purple snake looked into the orange wolf's eyes. However, it didn't phase him at all.

"You don't scare me!" Zero said.

The Lycanroc then countered with a Thrash attack, which proved devastating to the Shadow Arbok.

"Shadow Tail!" said the Madarai brother, seeming more anxious now.

The Arbok tried to slam it's tail into Zeroken, but with the Lycanroc's speed combined with the attack's mediocre accuracy, Zero successfully dodged it.

"Fire Fang!" Hajime commanded.

"You got it, Haji-Man!" said Zero.

The Lycanroc's fangs were blazing with flames. He then bit into the snake and gave him a serious burn.

"Heh heh..." the Gallade chuckled, "Looks like you didn't need me to babysit you after all..."

"How's your Lycanroc so powerful?" the Madarai brother said, showing signs of concern.

"Year's of training." Zero said, "Something I doubt your Shadow Pokemon ever had."

"Not only that... These two have a strong bond." Nagito added, "Those who can't share a bond with their Pokemon will never unlock their true power."

As if to prove a point, Nagito unleashed the Soul Link, and had Zeke Mega Evolve.

"Brave Bird." Nagito said.

The Pidgeot made a powerful Ariel attack that knocked out the Seviper.

"No...! Return..."

The Seviper was snagged away before he could retrieve it.

"Hmm hmm... Hello, Yasuke." Nagito said.

Hajime noticed a young man his age walking towards them with a glove and strange Poke-Ball. With him were some other trainers, including his childhood friend.

"Chiaki...!" he said.

"Hajime!" said Chiaki.

"Hey, bro!" said Zeroken, "Check it out! I evolved!"

"That form..." said Killia, "I knew there was something special about you..."

"Cut the chatter!" Yasuke said, before looking at Hajime, "You! Finish that Arbok off so I can snag it!"

"Uh... Right..." Hajime said, "Zeroken! Rock Tomb...!"

"Got it!" said the Lycanroc.

However, as Zero tried to use the move, a different move was used instead. The rocks were bigger, and more numerous.

"That's..." Hajime began to say.

"...Rock Slide." Nagito finished.

The powerful rock move struck the Arbok, knocking him out. Yasuke snagged the Shadow Pokemon afterwards.

"We have failed..." the Madarai brothers said.

"I suggest you leave." Yasuke said.

"Wait up." said the red headed girl, "I Don't you think they might know something?"

"I doubt they know much." Yasuke said, "Last I checked, they're just the bodyguards."

"I'm sure they know something..."

"Ryoko, just drop it already!" Yasuke said, "These two wouldn't know anything that would interest you."

"But..."

"If you want to ask anyone, then ask the Admin. They would know more then these two."

"...Fine." said Ryoko.

Yasuke then looked at the Madarai brothers.

"...Well? What are you two waiting for?! Get out of here!"

"...That red headed girl..." one of the brothers said, "She **does** look familiar..."

Ryoko let out a gasp.

"So you **do** know about me?!" she asked.

"...I don't remember." the brother said, "There's something familiar about you, but I don't remember why you look so familiar."

"It' probably nothing important, brother." said the other one.

"...Maybe you're right... We shall depart for now. But once we have more Shadow Pokemon, we'll be back for you."

Using the Claydol, the Madarai brothers teleported away.

"Did we... Win?" Aiko asked.

"Not yet." said Yasuke, "There's still the spy, who also happens to be a Team Chaos Admin."

"There's a spy?" Chiaki asked.

"Yeah." said Yasuke, "And I have a pretty good idea who it is."

"Then tell us already!" said Ryoko.

"...No need." said Yasuke, "...He's already here."

Yasuke pointed, causing the others to look in that direction. There they saw Leon with a Magmar.

"...Wait..." Ryoko said, " **You're** the spy?"

"...How'd you figure me out, Yasuke?" Leon asked, seemingly ignoring Ryoko.

"You played it **too** safe." Yasuke said, "I know how you use to be a famous Baseball Player, and I know that your personality now contradicted your personality back then. You been far too nice, not once have you made a sarcastic remark, and not once have you said anything offensive to someone. It was all compliments and friendship. You acted so nice, I **knew** it was all an act."

"...I'll admit, you're half true..." Leon said, "Maybe I was laying it off kind of thick... But the other half of me changed for the better..."

"Yet you joined Team Chaos?!" Ryoko said, "You gained our trust... You gained the kids' trust, and yet it was all a lie...?!"

"Not all of it!" Leon snapped, "I really **did** care about those kids, and I care about their future! I believe they can be whatever they want! Unlike me, who's future was chosen for him! I hated baseball, but since I was so good at it, that was my chosen path, and I had no say in the matter! That's why I joined Team Chaos! Not to help them bring despair, but to use their power to choose my own path, and not have anyone choose for me... Or for anyone else! I can finally be the me I want to be!"

"...You're a fool." Yasuke said, "You're nothing but a pawn. They don't care about your resolve. They're just using you to further their goals..."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Leon said, "I'm doing the same to them! I'm just using them to further my **own** goals! I need to become stronger so people can take me seriously! That way they'll never try to decide my future for me... So they support what I want to do, rather then what they believe I should do! I'm me! I decide my future, and no one else! That's how it should be for me, and for everyone else! And once I've completed my goal, I'll leave Team Chaos in an instant!"

"Do you think they'll just let you leave?!" Yasuke snapped back, "The moment you quit, you're as good as dead!"

"I'll fight back if I have to..." Leon said, "...I've done some things I'm not proud of... And I know most of them I can't take back... But it's all for a greater purpose..."

"No..." said Nagito, "...It's for a selfish and lazy one. Your a poor sap who wanted a 'get strong quick' solution, and you chose the route of using Shadow Pokemon. You chose the route of using artificial strength rather then your own. You abandoned the strength of hope, and relied on the strength of despair. There's no hope for your resolve, and there's no hope for you."

"...You know what?" Leon said, "I ain't got time for this! If I want to reach my goal, then I've got to move forward with this! I'll give you all one chance! Surrender your Pokemon, or I'll have to take them from you!"

"Do you really expect us to say 'yes' to you, you traitor!" Ryoko asked.

"...No. I just hoped you would so I wouldn't have to fight you." Leon said.

"Don't talk to us like you care!" Ryoko said, "You played us from the beginning, didn't you!?"

"...I guess your right." Leon said, "It was my mistake for getting attached to you guys. I should have known the moment you discover my true identity, you'd turn your backs on me."

After sucking his teeth, he continued.

"You're probably wondering about the new leader and if they have any relationship to your lost memories, right Ryoko? Well, I don't know anything related to your memories, but I do know that whoever this new leader is, they seem to be just as crazy, if not crazier then Junko. Their plans and love for despair seems to mirror Junko's perfectly. Sometimes, even better. It's almost as if Junko's still alive, and is getting stronger by the minute."

"I had my suspicions that she could still be alive..." Ryoko said, "We are talking about someone who started this evil organization when she was just ten years old. Not to mention, hard to kill..."

"I remember father telling me about Junko being very young when this all started." Chiaki said.

"Well, now that I've told you that, how about we make a deal?" Leon said.

"What kind of deal?" Ryoko asked.

"Let's have a match to decide our next course of action. If I win, then all of your Pokemon belong to me. If you win, you get to keep your Pokemon."

"What makes you think we'd except your terms?!" Yasuke asked.

"...Because you don't have a choice." Leon said.

The Team Chaos Admin pressed a button on this ominous bracelet he was wearing, and all of a sudden, a black portal appeared behind him. Coming out of the portal was this shadowy Pokemon wearing a large red necklace, and had a dark purple aura around it.

"A Shadow Darkrai...?" Nagito said, "...No! This is...!"

"That's right." Leon said, "This... Is a Specter Battle."

"A 'Specter Battle?'" Aiko asked.

"It's like a 'Death Battle' of sorts." Yasuke answered, "You see, that Darkrai spectates the battle. Whoever loses, the Darkrai takes their life."

"What...!?" said Hajime.

"You guys better hurry and pick who's going to battle me, or else Erebus here will kill us all for wasting his time." Leon pointed to the Darkrai, who began glaring at everyone.

"So we have no choice but to gamble?" Aiko asked.

"But... By deciding who fights... Someone's going to die in the end..." Chiaki said.

"Then we're going to have to hope the loser is Leon." Yasuke answered.

"That's too cruel!" Chiaki said, "Even if he's Team Chaos, killing's wrong, no matter what!"

"You'd rather we **all** die?" Yasuke said, "You chose to be a trainer, didn't you? You knew that the road to it would be dangerous. If you're not willing to take these kinds of risks, then you have no right to be a trainer!"

"But..." Chiaki began, only to stop herself and look at the ground.

"Hey! Don't talk to Chiaki like that!" Hajime said, "She's a great trainer...!"

"Is that so?" Yasuke asked, "Then why not let her prove it on the battlefield?"

"What...?" Hajime said, "But... If she loses..."

"Oh, so now you don't have confidence in her because her life is at stake?"

Hajime growled and looked away after Yasuke's comment.

"Well then... Why don't you protect your little girlfriend and battle for her?"

Hajime quickly looked at Yasuke again with a face full of shock.

"...Or are you afraid to kill as well? Or worse... You're afraid to **die**?"

Hajime didn't say a word. Around that time, Aiko began to cry.

"Hey! Erebus is getting impatient here!" Leon said, "Hurry up and pick who's fighting me!"

"...Well?" Yasuke said, raising an eyebrow at Hajime.

Zeroken began growling at Yasuke after that, but Yasuke just smirked at the Lycanroc.

"...Fine." Hajime said, "I'll..."

" **I'm** fighting him!" said a familiar voice from a distance.

Everyone looked in the direction from where it came from, and saw Chihiro Fujisaki coming there way, adjusting a glove that was similar to the one Yasuke was wearing.

(Cue Wally's battle theme from Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.)

"Chihiro?" Chiaki said.

"Wait... You mean the professor's son?" said Aiko.

The Gallade ran up to his trainer and greeted him.

"And here I thought you were going to miss all the action." Sync said.

"Like I'd leave you guys behind." said Chihiro.

The professor's son then approached the Team Chaos Admin, ready for battle. His Gallade looked ready as well.

"Hey, kid..." said Leon, "You sure you wanna do this? You do realize your life is literally at stake here."

"Don't worry." said a confident Chihiro, "This isn't my **first** Spector Battle."

Leon blinked, and then let out a laugh.

"You've got some serious guts, kid!" he said, "I mistook you for a frightened little girl when I first saw you, but now I can see you're a real man! It's almost a shame we couldn't get to know each other before this... Let's go, Napalm!"

The Magmar stepped forward, ready for battle.

"Sync..." said Chihiro, "I'm gonna have Tekuta go first, okay?"

"Do what ya gotta do." said Sync.

Chihiro then had his Gallade return in his Poke-Ball, and then let out a Kabutops.

"I see we're having a battle..." the Kabutops said.

"That's right." said Chihiro, "I'm counting on you, Tekuta."

The Kabutops nodded, and got himself ready.

"Specter Battle... **Start!** " Leon said.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	5. Chapter 5: Specter Battle

"Hey, kid..." said Leon, "You sure you wanna do this? You do realize your life is literally at stake here."

"Don't worry." said a confident Chihiro, "This isn't my **first** Spector Battle."

Leon blinked, and then let out a laugh.

"You've got some serious guts, kid!" he said, "I mistook you for a frightened little girl when I first saw you, but now I can see you're a real man! It's almost a shame we couldn't get to know each other before this... Let's go, Napalm!"

The Magmar stepped forward, ready for battle.

"Sync..." said Chihiro, "I'm gonna have Tekuta go first, okay?"

"Do what ya gotta do." said Sync.

Chihiro then had his Gallade return in his Poke-Ball, and then let out a Kabutops.

"I see we're having a battle..." the Kabutops said.

"That's right." said Chihiro, "I'm counting on you, Tekuta."

The Kabutops nodded, and got himself ready.

"Specter Battle... **Start!** " Leon said.

Upon hearing that, Erebus placed a glyph seal on the battlefield. There was no going back now.

"He looks so confident..." Aiko said.

"Yeah..." said Chiaki, "He's really grown..."

"I've got mad respect for your guts, kid." Leon said, "So I'll let you have the first move."

"Much appreciated." said Chihiro, "Aqua Jet, Tekuta!"

The Kabutops surrounded himself in water, and charged at the Magmar. Despite being super effective, it's low power made it not as devastating.

"Napalm, use Dizzy Punch!"

The Magmar attempted to punch Tekuta, but with high speed, the Kabutops jumped in the air.

"Counter with Slash!" said Chihiro.

The fossil Pokemon used his scythe like claws to cut the Magmar. Unfortunately, there was a drawback from this. Tekuta was burned.

"Napalm's ability is Flame Body." said Leon, "Making contact with him will leave you burned."

"Are you alright, Tekuta?" Chihiro asked.

"I'll be fine." said the Kabutops, "Burns are nothing to me."

Chihiro had a feeling this was just bravado, but trusted his Pokemon anyway.

"Alright." he said, "Then try using Stone Edge."

The Kabutops thrusted his claws into the ground. Upon doing so, Sharp rocks appeared from underneath Napalm for some powerful damage.

"Napalm! Hang in there!" Leon said, "Give 'em a Brick Break!"

The Magmar attacked with a swift chop. Due to Tekuta's Rock Typing, this took a lot of damage.

"Your Kabutops doesn't look so good." said Leon.

"Neither does your Magmar." said Chihiro.

"I'll bet whoever can land the next attack will be the victor."

Leon got ready to give Napalm another command, and Chihiro was about to do the same.

"Low Sweep!" said Leon.

"Waterfall!" said Chihiro.

Both Pokemon leaped in the air and launched their attacks at each other. They both made a landing and stood there for a good while, as both trainers looked at their Pokemon with anxiety.

"..." Leon didn't say a word as he looked at Napalm.

"...Tekuta?" Chihiro said.

"...Forgive me, Chihiro." Tekuta said, as he fell to the ground.

Upon seeing this, Leon smirked.

"Good job, Napalm." said the Team Chaos Admin, "The burn you left on the Kabutops gave us the upper hand. I can always count on you."

"Tekuta..." Chihiro said, "...You did your best. I'm proud of you."

"But... By losing... I endangered your life." Tekuta said.

"The battle isn't over yet." said Chihiro, "I know we can win this. For now, you get some rest."

The Kabutops nodded, as Chihiro returned him to his Poke-Ball.

"I gotta say, kid, you've got skills." Leon said, "I really thought I was going to lose that one."

Even though Napalm won the first battle, he was in no shape to continue, which was most likely the reason why Leon had him return.

"Listen, kid." said the Team Chaos Admin, "I've got to warn you. If you couldn't beat Napalm, then there's no way you'll be able to beat this next one."

Chihiro had a pretty good idea what Leon meant by that, and soon, his suspicions were confirmed. Out of the Leon's Poke-Ball came a Combustken. But not just any Combustken; a Shadow Combustken.

'I'll need to beat this one at all cost, so I can snag it.' Chihiro thought, as he adjusted his glove.

Chihiro took out a Poke-Ball that was unfamiliar to him.

"Time to take out the new guy..." said Chihiro.

"You sure?" Leon asked, "Look, I wanna win and all, but I still think this fight should be fair. Don't risk using a Pokemon you're inexperienced with."

"I've got a feeling I can handle it." Chihiro said.

"...Suit yourself." Leon shrugged.

Chihiro threw out the Poke-Ball, and out came a Rotom. He began to stretch his electric arms and look around.

"Been awhile since I've seen some action..." he said, before noticing Chihiro, "So, you're the one she entrusted me to. Name's Emerl. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Chihiro. It's a pleasure."

"Whenever you're ready, kid." Leon said.

The Shadow Combustken just growled like an animal.

"...Let's go." Chihiro said.

Battle two now commenced.

"First move's mine this time." Leon said.

"It's only fair." said Chihiro.

"Shadow Kick!" Leon commanded.

The shadowy aura around the Combustken grew tremendously, as it launched a flying kick at the Electric/Ghost type. It made a direct hit.

"Ouch!" said the Rotom, "Shadow Pokemon are tough!"

"Are you alright, Emerl?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." said Emerl, "This guy's a special Pokemon... But so am I."

Emerl's body was covered in a blue aura, and soon took on the appearance of a washer machine.

"The hell?!" Leon shouted, "I thought Rotom needed to posses appliances to take on new forms!"

"Sure, normal Rotom do." said Emerl, "But I was enhanced with a shape-shifting microchip that allows me to take on each form at will. It's an advantage of having a genius for a trainer."

"Hydro Pump!" Chihiro commanded.

The door on Emerl's stomach opened and let out a powerful jet stream of water at the Combustken. It was super effective, but the Shadow Pokemon still held on.

"Shadow Rapid Punch! Now!" Leon shouted.

A storm of fists began to launch at Emerl. The Rotom tried to dodge as much as possible, but a few managed to hit him, each being a powerful blow.

"Damn.." said Emerl, "If they all have hit me, I'd have been a goner..."

"Can you still fight, Emerl?" Chihiro asked.

"I think so." said Emerl, as he changed into the form of a fan, "And I think I've got an idea."

"...Alright." said Chihiro, "I trust you."

The Rotom just stood there and stared down the Shadow Pokemon.

"Aren't you going to attack?" Leon asked, "Cuz if not, then I will. Shadow Jump Kick!"

The Shadow Combustken jumped in the air and tried to launch a powerful kick at the Rotom.

"...Wow." said Emerl, "This worked out better than I expected."

The Rotom suddenly used Double Team, moving so fast, he seemed to be in many places at once. The Combustken landed the blow, only to hit an illusion, causing massive recoil damage.

"Now I got you!" Emerl shouted, as he shot the Shadow Pokemon with an Air Slash attack. Another super effective move, which took down the Combustken.

'Now's my chance!' Chihiro thought, as he got out a strange Poke-Ball, dubbed the Despair Ball, and threw it with the hand that was wearing the glove. A hand made of energy came out of the ball and quickly grabbed the Combustken, capturing it in the process.

"Damn..." Leon said, "You managed to beat me, kid. Congrats..."

"You don't seem all that concerned that I snagged your Shadow Pokemon." Chihiro said.

"Oh, him? Don't worry. I'll be getting him back once I win." Leon said, "If I'm pissed about anything, it's that not only did you make me have to use my last Pokemon, but you're making me use a Pokemon I don't like to use."

"Why's that?" Chihiro asked.

"...She brings back really bad memories..." Leon said, "...Memories of the thing I regret the most."

Leon then thew his last Poke-Ball, and out came a Pokemon that didn't match him one bit. It was a Shadow Popplio. A Shadow Pokemon who didn't seem like Leon's type... Chihiro began to put two and two together.

"...That was your initiation Pokemon, wasn't she?" Chihiro asked.

"You know about that kind of thing?" Leon asked.

"Like I said before... This isn't my first Specter Battle."

* * *

Aiko tilted her head.

"Initiation Pokemon?" Aiko repeated, "What does that mean?"

"For one to become a member of Team Chaos..." Yasuke explained, "One must be willing to kill. So to make sure they're set on joining, they are asked to kill someone they care about, and turn their first Pokemon into a Shadow Pokemon."

"That's horrible..." Chiaki said.

"What do you expect?" said Yasuke, "They're Team Chaos, after all."

"...Hey." said Aiko, "Doesn't the bow the Popplio's wearing look a little familiar?"

Aiko tried to recall where she saw it before. However, it was her Pikachu that figured it out first.

"That's bow looks just like the one Sayaka Maizono wears!" Usalia said, "Does that mean...?"

"This guy... is Sayaka's murderer?" Aiko said.

Aiko didn't know Sayaka personally, but she knew her for being a famous Pop Sensation. Aiko was a bit of a fan, but it was really Usalia who was the huge fan of hers. Of course, when they saw on the news that Sayaka was murdered, and her Pokemon were stolen, this made her Pikachu very sad.

"...I always knew it was Team Chaos..." Aiko said, "I just never imagined I'd meet the killer in person."

"Beat him, plip!" Usalia called out, "Avenge Sayaka!"

* * *

"Okay, kid..." said Leon, "This battle will decide who lives and who dies. You better give it your all if you don't want to die in vain."

"You're awfully confident in yourself." said Chihiro.

"Of course." said Leon, "It's in my job description."

"Well, if you're going to use an important Pokemon..." Chihiro said, "...Then so will I."

Chihiro threw out a Poke-Ball, and out came his trusty Gallade, Sync.

" **Now** we're talkin'!" said Leon, "This'll be good."

"If it weren't for the fact that this is a Shadow Pokemon, I'd be very disappointed in you for letting me out on such a weak Pokemon, Chihiro."

"Sync..." Chihiro said, "...She's the same as you."

"...Oh." Sync said, "...I understand."

"First move's yours, kid." Leon said.

Chihiro nodded before commanding Sync to use Leaf Blade.

"Take this!" Sync said, as large sharp leaves fired at the Popplio.

The small sea lion Pokemon was able to dodge the move with her exceptional acrobatic skills.

"Shadow Bubble!" said Leon.

The Popplio let out a shadowy bubble towards Sync, encasing him inside until it exploded.

"Damn it...! I hate Shadow Attacks!" said Sync.

"Try to use Psycho Cut!" Chihiro said.

Sync used his blade like arms to let out a swipe, which launched a blade of psychic energy towards the Shadow Pokemon. A direct hit.

"C'mon! Sake it off!" Leon said.

The Popplio got herself ready to attack once again.

"Shadow Stream!" Leon said.

The Popplio let out a shadow version of Hydro Pump, and tried to blast it at Sync. Fortunately, since the attack's accuracy mirrored that of the original attack, Sync was able to dodge it without a problem.

"Counter with Leaf Blade!" Chihiro said.

Because the Popplio was caught off guard, the attack landed this time, causing super effective damage.

"Come on! We can't lose this!" Leon said, "Give him a Shadow Voice attack!"

However, instead of following the command, the Shadow Pokemon went berserk, letting out roars and just attacking blindly, more times than not, hurting herself rather than Sync.

"No, not again...!" Leon said.

* * *

"What's going on?" Aiko asked.

"Reverse Mode." Yasuke answered, "This is a state to were a Shadow Pokemon saw a small glimpse of it's past memories, causing it's mind to go into chaos. Think of it as the Confused status on steroids, for lack of a better description."

"She looks like she's suffering..." Chiaki said.

"...She is." Killia answered, "It's hard to read the feelings of a shadow Pokemon, and the small amount of aura the memory left is very small, but it was clear the memory was painful."

"I bet she's remembering Sayaka, plip." Usalia said.

Aiko began to wonder what a Pokemon goes through when it's turned into a Shadow Pokemon. From what she was witnessing, it was some kind of hell. No amount of ultimate power was worth this much anguish. It was awful... Just plain awful. It was clear that Team Chaos only viewed Pokemon as tools, and didn't care how much despair they brought upon them when they convert them into these fighting machines. She always believed all of Team Chaos was like that... Until she witnessed what happened next.

"Calm down, Lisette!" Leon said, calling the Popplio by name all of a sudden, "It's okay! Everything will be okay...!"

Out of nowhere, Leon held his Shadow Pokemon and petted her on the head. This caused her to calm down a little.

"I know it hurts... And I promise... Once this is all over... Once I no longer need Team Chaos anymore, I'll do everything I can to make the pain go away... And then I'll make sure you have a better trainer, rather than a scumbag like me..."

Despite being Team Chaos, Leon has shown to truly care about his Pokemon. It seems that there is some good in him. He may have murdered Sayaka, but how much he cares for her Popplio shows how much he regretted it... How much he wishes he could take it all back... How much he wish it never came to this...

* * *

Lisette the Popplio finally calmed herself, and was now ready to battle again.

"Thanks for not attacking while she was like that." Leon said, "I've got a lot more respect for you, kid."

"And from seeing what you did for your Popplio, I've got respect for you, too." said Chihiro, "Most Team Chaos members would make their Pokemon continue to battle when they're in Reverse Mode."

"...Listen." Leon said, "On the off chance you beat me, can I ask you a favor?"

Chihiro nodded, not even questioning what Leon's request was.

"...Take good care of my Pokemon." he said, "And do everything you can to purify the Shadow Pokemon I have."

"That goes without saying." Chihiro said.

"You ready to continue?" Leon asked.

"Yeah." said Chihiro, "Let's finish this."

Determination was painted on both Leon and Chihiro's face. Sync also had the face of determination, while Lisette had the face of pure rage.

"Sync..." said Chihiro, "I think it's about time we used our trump card."

"I was hoping you'd say that." said the Gallade.

Chihiro then activated the Soul Link, causing Sync to Mega Evolve. He now had a white cape and larger blades on his arms.

"Oh, this is going to be good...!" Leon said, having more excitement in his tone than fear.

"All or nothing?" Sync asked.

"All or nothing." Chihiro answered.

Both Chihiro and Sync were surrounded by an intimidating aura. They were ready to unleash a powerful attack.

"Lisette! Use this chance to use Shadow Cover!"

On Leon's command, the Popplio covered herself in a shadow bubble that acted similar to the move "Protect" However, Sync and Chihiro executed their attack anyway.

"Soul Close Combat!" they yelled in unison.

Sync dashed like a speeding bullet towards Lisette's bubble, and rapidly punched it.

"It's hopeless, kid!" said Leon, "You can't possibly..."

The bubble shown signs of breaking.

"What...?!"

After many more punches, the bubble finally burst, leaving Lisette wide open and taking the remaining blows. After that devastating attack, Lisette was out cold, leaving Leon very puzzled.

"He won...!" Chihiro heard Chiaki say, "Chihiro won!"

Leon looked at the ground. He probably felt awful that he lost.

"...Leon?" Chihiro said.

And out of nowhere, Leon burst out laughing.

"That was the best battle I've ever had!" he said, "Well, I'm glad I'm going out with a bang! You were awesome, kid!"

Chihiro was a little shocked at first, but his composure returned rather quickly.

"Yeah..." he said, "So were you."

"Whelp, you know what to do, kid." said Leon, as he handed him the Poke-Ball that had Napalm in it, "Make sure you take good care of them, alright?"

Chihiro nodded. Leon than had Lisette return and handed that Poke-Ball to him as well.

"You know..." Leon said, "In the past, I'd probably be freaking out. I'd probably beg for my life and try to run away. But now... Even though I know I'm going to die... I'm not running... And knowing there are trainers like you out there... I don't regret losing."

"Leon..."

"I said I joined Team Chaos because I wanted to be free... But deep down... I've always known I was still trapped while I was working with them. In order to be able to choose what I want to do with my life, I those another path I didn't want to choose. I was lazy, and used artificial strength to move forward... For the most part. Napalm is the only Pokemon I legitimately trained, while the others are Shadow Pokemon. It was no wonder I could count on him more then the ones who have their hearts closed to despair..."

"Leon... Maybe there's a way we can turn this around..." Chihiro said, "Maybe... We can..."

"Don't bother, kid. You said this wasn't your first Specter Battle, so you should know that once you lose, there's no way out of your execution. But it's okay. This experience helped opened my eyes. I was a blind fool... And you helped free me from Team Chaos' prison, kid. I wish the circumstances were better... But at least I'm free now..."

The Darkrai appeared next to Leon in light speed soon after.

"Yeah, you're probably tired of waiting." Leon told him, "Alright. I'm ready. Do what you've gotta do."

Erebus stared into Leon's eyes, and Leon stared back. The Darkrai's eye then glowed, and Leon began lose color in his.

* * *

Leon found himself in a dark room. He looked around confused, until he felt something's grab his neck and pulled him backwards. He was being dragged by a chain up until he was strapped to a pull. In front of him was a baseball launcher, and a twisted looking Panchum holding a baseball bat.

"Now you're just mocking me." Leon said.

"Upupupupu...!" said the twisted Panchum, "Let me pitch it to ya, Leon. You're gonna get a real beating!"

The Panchum turned on the baseball launcher. Leon made a face that showed he was indeed scared, but then took a deep breath and shifted it into a more calm expression. He accepted his fate... Something his past self probably wouldn't do if he were in the same situation.

"Hey... Team Chaos!" Leon said, as he tried his best to give the bear the finger, despite his arms being restrained, "F**k you!"

The balls started to fire rapidly at Leon, getting faster and faster, and more painful as they hit him. As the pain got unbearable, he screamed. However, he screamed the same words at the bear and at Team Chaos as the beating continued.

"F**k you! F**k you! F**k you! F**k you!" it continued on and on, getting louder with every beating, "F**k you! F**k you! F**k you! F**K YOOOOOOOOOOOU!"

* * *

Everyone watched as Leon took his last breath, his lifeless body falling to the floor soon after. Without even touching him, Erebus robbed Leon of his life. No wounds, no cuts, no bruises, and yet Leon was clearly dead. The glyph on the ground disappeared after Leon's death.

"How... Can this be...?" Aiko asked.

"...Death by Nightmare." Yasuke answered, "That's the special skill of this Shadow Darkrai."

After giving everyone one last glare, Erebus teleported away.

"...Maybe I was wrong..." Nagito said, "Maybe there was hope for him after all. Someone just had to help him see it."

Aiko looked like she was about to cry, when Usalia jumped on her shoulder and rubbed her head on her cheek to calm her down.

"...I was too late." said a nearby voice.

Everyone looked to see Kiyotaka and his Arcanine.

"...Is he...?"

"I'm afraid so." Chihiro answered, "We stopped Team Chaos today, but it cost a life to do so."

"...I can't believe he was a traitor..." Kiyotaka said, "He truly seemed to care about the kids... Why couldn't I see through his act?"

"Not all of it was an act." Chihiro said, "Deep down, he truly did care."

"...It's Mondo all over again..." Kiyotaka said.

Both Chihiro and Kiyotaka put their heads down. After some time, Chihiro put his head back up, looking at the still saddened Kiyotaka.

"Come on..." Chihiro said, "We can't leave Leon's body here. Let's give him a proper burial."

Kiyotaka nodded. Together, the two helped bury the body of the former Chaos Admin.

* * *

After paying there respects to Leon, it was time to get back to work.

"Chihiro..." Kiyotaka said, "The Purification Chamber... Is it ready?"

"I think it should be by now..." said Chihiro, "However, I'll need to test it's effects."

"Alright." said Kiyotaka, "I'm going to check on the children."

"Are you going to tell them about Leon?" Chihiro asked.

"I don't think they'll be ready for that... The kids seemed to really like Leon. I'm very against it, but I'm afraid I may have to fib. I'll tell them he died in battle, but I won't tell him he was a Chaos member."

"It's probably for the best..." Chihiro said, "Do what you've got to do."

Kiyotaka nodded and went his way. Chihiro then looked at his friends from his hometown, Chiaki and Hajime,. They knew very little about what's going on, but he felt they could help him test the Neo World Program.

"Chiaki... Hajime..." Chihiro said, "Would you be willing to lend me a hand?"

The two looked at each other. Then they looked back at Chihiro.

"We'll help however we can." Hajime said.

"Yeah." said Chiaki, "You can count on us..."

"Um..." Aiko spoke up, "Is there... Any way I can help, too?"

Although Chihiro only just met the girl with the Pikachu hoodie not too long ago, he had a feeling she meant well. Plus, by looking at her, she sort of reminded him of his past self.

"...Yeah. I'm sure there is." Chihiro answered, "Everyone, follow me."

* * *

As the crew were following Chihiro, Hajime felt someone tap his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Yasuke.

"What?" Hajime said, "You're going to scold me for not stepping in on time?"

"...What if I told you I could make you stronger?" Yasuke said, "...No, more than that... What if I said I could make you **unbeatable**?"

Although Hajime was skeptical, he listened.

"You've got potential. Your Lycanroc is proof of that. Only the best trainers can unlock such a form. Only those who have the greatest bond with their Rockruff could ever achieve such power."

"Well, Haji-Man and I are pretty tight." Zeroken said.

"Because of this potential, you have what it takes. I can turn you into the Ultimate Trainer. You will be so powerful, no one would ever beat you. Your strength will pass on to your Pokemon as well, creating the ultimate form of Soul Link."

This sounded way too good to be true. Hajime wanted to be strong for so long. At first it was to show up a certain rival of his from his previous Home Town, and then it was just to keep up with Chiaki after he moved to Caeus Town. But after that Specter Battle, and the fact that there may be a time she herself could be thrown into one, Hajime wanted to be strong enough to protect her. If he were to ever lose Chiaki, it would destroy him. She was such a skilled trainer, and yet she accepted a nobody like him...

But still, something didn't seem right. Why would a complete stranger grant him this power? This couldn't be for Hajime's sake. He was sure this guy had ulterior motives or something.

"...What's in it for you?" Hajime asked.

"So, you see how this will work." Yasuke said, "I help you, and you help me. If I were to give you this power, you would help me capture a creation that escaped my grasp."

"A creation... That escaped your grasp...?"

"Ever heard of the Legendary Pokemon, Mew?"

"Mew?" Hajime repeated, "Isn't that the Mythical Pokemon from those children's stories?"

"Believe me, Mew is very real." said Yasuke, "I met one named Serenade. And using her DNA, I created my ultimate creation; Mewtwo. Code Name: Bass."

"And you want me to find and capture it?" Hajime asked, "And then bring it back to you...?"

"Oh, no... I want you to keep him." Yasuke said, "You can bring him back to show me his power, but I think you'll be the only trainer who can control him. That, and the only trainer who can unlock his true powers."

Hajime just stared at him, puzzled.

"It's for research purposes." Yasuke said, "But feel free to take advantage of the boons my research will grant you. Ultimate power, a powerful Pokemon... It's a good deal, is it not?"

Hajime didn't know what to say. Sure, all this sounded great, but he wasn't so sure he could trust Yasuke.

"...It's fine." Yasuke said, "You don't have to choose right away. Give it some thought first. Once you've made your decision, you know where to find me."

Without waiting for Hajime to say anything else, Yasuke walked off in the direction the others went, to which Hajime followed.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	6. Chapter 6: Chiaki's First Gym Battle

"You have an underground lab...?" Chiaki asked, as she began looking around with awe.

"We do." said Chihiro, "It's to help purify the Shadow Pokemon we get from Team Chaos."

Chiaki's eyes sparkled as she began running around like a child in a toy store.

"It's like a secret base you see in some of my video games!"

"Heh heh... I expected this kind of reaction." said Chihiro.

A familiar girl in a wheelchair soon rolled their way.

"What's everyone doing here?" Monaca asked.

"They're going to give us a hand." said Chihiro.

"I see..." said Monaca, "Anyway, the Neo World Program is done downloading."

"Excellent." said Chihiro, before looking at Ryoko, "You mind helping me test it?"

"Is it alright... To do it in front of everyone?" Ryoko asked.

"Well, they're going to help us." Chihiro said, "So it would be a good idea to show them how this machine works."

"...Okay." said Ryoko.

The red head pulled out a Despair Ball out of her pocket. Chiaki remembered seeing Yasuke using some to capture Shadow Pokemon. That could only mean...

"You... Have a Shadow Pokemon, Ryoko?" she asked.

Ryoko looked like she was about to answer, but she was soon interrupted.

"Chihiro gave that to her as an experiment."

Chiaki looked in the direction the voice came from, and saw Yasuke and Hajime coming out the elevator.

"Chihiro wanted to see if one could help a Shadow Pokemon open their heart up. I've come to understand recently that it was for this machine."

"Ryoko can be a little spoiled at times..." said Loki, "But she's a good trainer who cares about her friends. She even cares for an ass like Yasuke."

"I can **hear** you!" Yasuke said.

"You were suppose to." said the Zoroark.

"Please stop fighting..." Aiko pleaded.

Chihiro faced Ryoko after Yasuke and Loki calmed down.

"Alright..." Chihiro said, "Whenever you're ready."

Ryoko nodded, and let a Shadow Charmander out of the Despair Ball. She then crouched down to his level.

"Now, little guy, I need you to go inside this machine, okay?"

The Charmander looked at the machine, and then back at Ryoko.

"It's to help you turn back to normal." she said, "You trust me, don't you."

The Charmander looked back at the machine for a good while, and then back at Ryoko, to which he nodded to.

"Thank you." Ryoko said.

"...Is that... Really a Shadow Pokemon?" asked Aiko, "I thought they were all mean and aggressive."

"When a kind trainer raises a Shadow Pokemon, they will be able to open their hearts." Chihiro said, "They aren't fully purified, for the despair in their hearts still lingers, but they become less aggressive."

"It's very dangerous, though." said Yasuke, "If you remember the Popplio, it went into Reverse Mode when this process was taking place, causing it to become more aggressive then before if not calmed down."

One of the doors to the machine opened up.

"Hop in whenever you're ready." Monaca said.

The Charmander looked at Monaca, and then at Ryoko, who nodded at him. The Charmander then hopped into the machine.

"Let's hope this works..." Chihiro said, "Activate it, Monaca."

Monaca nodded, and activated the machine. The door closed, and on the monitor on the machine showed the purification process. It was going mighty fast.

"The more the Shadow Pokemon opens their heart, the faster it goes." Chihiro said, "You've done a good job with your Charmander."

In no time, the purification was complete. The door then opened, revealing the Charmander. The dark aura around him was gone. The purification must have worked. The Charmander slowly opened his eyes to see his trainer.

"...Ryoko..." he said, "...It worked... The despair is gone..."

And out of nowhere, the Charmander's body began to glow.

"What's going on?" Chiaki asked.

"Now that he's purified, all the locked experience is catching up to him." Chihiro answered.

"You mean..."

"Yep. He's evolving."

The Charmander grew, his claws became sharper, and a horn like bump developed on the back of his head. When the glowing subsided, he was now a Charmeleon.

"This right here..." Nagito said, "This is proof that hope is stronger than despair."

"I'm so happy for you, little guy..." Ryoko said, "Though, now that you can speak again, I can call you by your name now. What is it?"

"...Natsu." said the Charmeleon, "My name is Natsu."

Hajime let out a small gasp when he heard that.

"What's wrong, Hajime?" Chiaki asked.

"...Sorry." Hajime said, "It's just... His name is very similar to a friend I knew in the past."

"Oh, right..." said Chiaki, "You use to live in Alastor Town before you moved to Caerus Town."

"Yeah..." Hajime answered.

"Great! The Neo World Program works." said Chihiro, "Now, let's talk about how you guys can help us with other Shadow Pokemon."

Chihiro grabbed some gloves that was like the one he was wearing, and handed them out to Chiaki, Hajime, Aiko, and Ryoko.

"These a modified Snag'em Gloves. They will allow you to capture Shadow Pokemon from members of Team Chaos. Once you caught them, bring them back here, so we can work on purifying them. Of course, you can also choose to keep some to bond with first, so the purification process will work faster, but that's up to you."

"You're letting the red headed dumbass in on this, too?" Yasuke asked.

"Sure." said Chihiro, "She helped us purify a Shadow Pokemon. She can help us purify more."

"You do realize if no one has her eyes on her, she'll do something rash, right?" Yasuke said, "Like go after Team Chaos on her own."

"Hey, we'll protect her." Loki said.

"Loki, Yasuke has a point." said Kyube, "Why do you think I..."

The Espeon suddenly stopped himself.

"...You what?" Loki asked.

"Nothing..." said Kyube, "I just... Tell you all the time not to be so reckless."

"Uh huh..." Loki said, raising an eyebrow.

Yasuke suddenly had his eyes on Chiaki.

"If Ryoko goes out there, she'll need someone to keep her out of trouble. Can I count on you to do that."

"Sure..." Chiaki answered, "...I think."

"Alright, than Ryoko can go." said Yasuke, "You've proven to be a capable trainer after fighting the Madarai Brothers. If Ryoko suddenly goes rogue and tries to act on her own, you'll be able to stop her and bring her back here."

"And what makes you think I'll even go rouge?" Ryoko said, "I want to find Junko and get my memories back, but I wouldn't turn on a friend to..."

"Oh, believe me, you would." Yasuke said in a sharp tone, "Because of your obsession with Junko, you're somewhat unstable, as well as unpredictable. You should be happy I'm letting you go out there at all."

Yasuke than look back at Chiaki.

"What ever you do, do not let Team Chaos capture her. You got that?"

Chiaki, slightly intimidated, nodded sheepishly.

"Don't let me down." Yasuke said.

Yasuke then looked at Hajime.

"And you, my friend, will be in charge of keeping them both safe, right?"

"...Yeah." Hajime said.

"And remember what I said earlier." Yasuke said, before walking off to the elevator door, "Anyway, I've got some stuff to do. Chihiro, go ahead and fill everyone in on everything else."

The elevator doors closed, sending Yasuke elsewhere.

"...Anyway." said Chihiro, "As I said before, I want you to bring back any Shadow Pokemon you capture. However, I'll also need to have any extra Pokmon you capture be sent here as well."

"You want our PC Pokemon sent here?" Hajime asked.

"Yes." Chihiro said, "You see, how the Neo World Program works is that the Shadow Pokemon is sent into a virtual reality that alters there memories to before they became Shadow Pokemon. To help the process, they need to be surrounded by other Pokemon to help them open their heart and fill it wih hope. Thats where your extra Pokemon will come in."

"I get it now..." Chiaki said, "It's kind of like the Matrix, or Super Dangan..."

Vixen jumped out of her Poke-Ball and covered her trainer's mouth.

"Don't mention that last one, or your universe might implode!"

After a sigh, Vixen returned to her Poke-Ball.

"...Just the Matrix." Chiaki said.

"Yeah, that's a pretty decent way to look at it." said Chihiro, "It involved a virtual reality, after all."

"And by sending in the Pokemon we're not using, the Shadow Pokemon being purified will be surrounded by friends who they can talk to, helping them to remember what it's like to trust someone while the machine is removing the despair that made them into Shadow Pokemon in the first place."

"That's right Hajime." said Chihiro, "But, as much as I think this'll work, I would like to see which method is more effective in purifying a Shadow Pokemon; through the Neo World Program, or through spending time with a trainer. If you remember, Natsu was able to be purified immediately since the memories of his time with Ryoko was a good substitute for other Non-Shadow Pokemon joining him in the program. This machine will be useful for purifying more than one Shadow Pokemon at a time, but I'd like to know which process is faster for just one Pokemon, that way if it's time with a trainer, I can work to improve the Neo World Program."

"Alright. It's crystal clear, now." said Chiaki.

"The next time you use your PC accounts, I'll have most likely send a link that will send extra Pokemon to the Neo World Program. You might find that once they're done purifying a Pokemon, not only with the Shadow Pokemon get experience, but so did the Pokemon that helped out."

"Nice..." said Zeroken, "So it's like another form of training? That's so cool!"

"Now, to see which process works faster, I'll give you each a Shadow Pokemon to raise."

Chihiro then picked up the captured Shadow Pokemon and started handing one out to the trainers one at a time.

"Um..." Aiko said, once it was her turn, "Is it alright to request a yellow one?"

"Combustken's yellow." said Chihiro, "Will that one work?"

Aiko nodded.

After handing each one of them their Shadow Pokemon, Chihiro continued.

"Now, in order to cover some ground, it'll be best if we split up. I'll have Monaca and Yasuke look over things here. Chiaki, Hajime, and Ryoko, you three go east of Lethe town."

Chihiro than faced Aiko.

"You and I, we'll go west of her. Is that okay."

"Um... S-sure." Aiko answered.

"So, you're going to help us capture Shadow Pokemon, too?" Hajime asked.

"Well, it's best no one goes alone, but at the same time, the more teams we got, the better."

"I assume you want me to contact you to keep you updated?" Monaca asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good." said Chihiro, "You can also let me know when you need to take a break. You may be a genius, but you're still a student here. We don't want you to miss out on Kiyotaka's activities, right?"

"Well, he did promise we'd have a field trip to the Safari Zone at some point..." said Monaca, "I didn't want to miss that. But what about keeping you updated."

"I'm sure Yasuke wouldn't mind filling me in a little." Chihiro answered, "And plus, if I ever need her, I can always contact Miaya."

"Alright." said Monaca.

"Now, everyone best get yourselves prepared before leaving." said Chihiro, "Buy some supplies, have your Pokemon rest at the Poke-Center, whatever you've gotta do."

"Also..." said Nagito, "It would probably be a good idea to go to the Gym before leaving as well. The more experience you get, the better."

"But isn't the Gym Leader out?" Chiaki asked.

"No, he came back in." Nagito answered.

"How do you know that?" Aiko asked.

Nagito chuckled before answering.

"Because I **am** the Gym Leader."

* * *

Nagito lead the crew to his Gym. It looked a bit generic, but since he specialized in using Normal Type Pokemon, it made sense. What made a little less sense was the Pokemon that came to greet Nagito.

"You're back!" said a Pokemon that looked like an Arctic Fox.

"Hello, Weiss." said Nagito, "Sorry I'm late. I got hold up by Team Chaos."

This Arctic Fox Pokemon was an Alolan Vulpix. Most Vulpix were Fire Types, but due to adapting to snowy climates, the Alolan Vulpix were Ice Types.

"Is this one yours?" Hajime asked, "I thought you specialized in using Normal Types."

"Just because I'm a Normal Type Gym Leader, doesn't mean I don't own Pokemon that are of different types." Nagito stated.

The doors to the gym opened, and entering was Kiyotaka and the kids.

"I heard from Chihiro, and I thought I'd bring my students to watch the Gym Battle." Kiyotaka said, "It will make for some good experience."

"Weiss!" Kotoko shouted, as she ran to the Alolan Vulpix.

"C'mon! We're here to watch an awesome battle, not cute Pokemon!" Masaru said.

"Let her be, Masaru." said Nagisa, "Weiss will help her cope with Mr. Kuwata's death better."

"Don't bring that up, Nagisa..." Jataro said.

Chiaki noticed a certain girl in a wheelchair wasn't with them.

"Is Monaca still busy?" she asked.

"Yes, she is." Kiyotaka answered.

The teacher then sent his students to sit on the bleachers. This gave them some privacy.

"The kids don't know about the stuff we're doing to save Shadow Pokemon, so I'll have to ask you to keep quiet about it."

"Alright." Chiaki said.

Kiyotaka then faced Nagito

"As you know, I told the kids about Leon's death, leaving out the details of him being part of Team Chaos. They were sad about it, so watching this gym battle might cheer them up, if only a little bit."

"I'll make sure these battles are good ones, than." Nagito said.

"I expect no less." said Kiyotaka, "All of you, give it everything you've got!"

Kiyotaka then head to the bleachers to join his students.

"Now, then..." Nagito said, "Who's going to battle me first?"

"Ladies first." Hajime said, "I'll go last."

"Um..." said Aiko, "I think I'd like to watch someone battle before I go..."

"Then I guess that leaves you." Nagito told Chiaki, "What do ya say? Wanna go first?"

"Okay." said Chiaki.

"Remember, he's tough." Ryoko said, "Give it your all, okay."

"Right." said Chiaki.

"Make your preparations, and then meet me on the battlefield." Nagito said.

* * *

After her preparations, Chiaki rounded up all her Pokemon to discuss the plan.

"I know the most logical thing to do is have Killia do the entire run... But if I leave the rest of you out, you won't get any experience from this."

"She's right." said Killia, "The best way to learn from a battle is to experience one. The more battles you fight, the more you learn, and the stronger you become."

"I understand, Master Killia." said Coden.

"Yes!" said Yoshimitsu, "To fight a good fight! That is the warrior's way!"

"Hey, Boss Lady!" said Welch, "I've got a secret weapon that might help!"

The Aipom showed off her impressive kicking skills.

"You know Low Kick?" Chiaki asked, despite seeing it with her own eyes.

"Yeah, it's something from my ancestors, apparently." the purple monkey said, "Might have to do with the fact that my father was a Primape as well."

"Well, now we have a Pokemon with a super effective move that isn't Killia." said Chiaki, "But with that said, I want to give you all a chance..."

"With this being your first Gym Battle, Nagito will probably only use two or three Pokemon." said Killia, "Excluding your Shadow Pokemon and me, you have four to choose from."

"Wait, why aren't we using the Shadow Pokemon?" Welch asked.

"Kiyotaka said to keep some things secret, so I don't want to use the Shadow Pokemon in front of the kids." Chiaki answered.

"Yeah, that makes sense..." said the Aipom, "Who's the Shadow Pokemon, anyway."

"Once we're out of the town, I'll introduce you to them." Chiaki said.

"Sounds fair." said Welch.

"Now, then..." said Chiaki, "I'll bet the Pidgeot is his last Pokemon, so I'll have Coden fight him. Is that alright, Coden?"

"Yes, m'am." said the Shinx, "I'll do my best."

"It'll be good experience, Coden." Killia said, "After all, it's almost time."

"Time for what?" Coden asked.

"You'll see." said the Lucario.

"Since the first Pokemon will most likely be the Meowth who follows Nagito, I'll have Vixen start us off. If things go bad, I'll switch you out with Welch."

"Alright." said the Fennekin.

"Okay. Now that we have our strategy, Let's get going." Chiaki said.

* * *

It was time to face Nagito. Chiaki and the Gym Leader were on the battlefield.

"I'll be using three Pokemon." Nagito said, "However, it won't be two out of three. In order to beat me, you have to defeat **all** my Pokemon."

Chiaki nodded.

"If you win, you'll receive the Lucky Badge... As well as two special gifts from me."

As curious as Chiaki was about the gifts, her main focus was the battle itself.

"Whenever you're ready." Nagito said.

"Let's go." said Chiaki.

"Alright." said Nagito, before throwing out his first Poke-Ball, "Go, Cait Sith!"

Out came a happy Meowth.

"Vixen, you're first!" Chiaki said, letting out her Fennekin.

"Let us begin" Nagito said, "As the challenger, you get the first move."

"Okay!" said Chiaki, "Vixen, use Flame Burst."

Vixen shot a large fire ball at the Cat Pokemon.

"Hot, hot, hot!" Cait Sith cried. He seemed to have gotten burned.

"This will make thing a little tough..." said Nagito, "Just my luck."

Nagito had Cait Sith use Pay Day. Many gold coins scattered around the field, some even hitting Vixen.

"Try Psychic this time." Chiaki said.

The Fox Pokemon attempted to use Psychic, but instead used Psyshock on the Meowth.

"Don't worry. You'll get it down soon enough." Chiaki said.

"Joshua said I had an eighty percent chance of using it until I perfected it..." Vixen said.

"Oh, that's just Nagito's luck cycle messin' with cha." said Cait Sith, "He goes back and forth in having good luck and bad luck. It must have lowered your chances or somethin'"

"Now, Cait Sith, use Fury Swipe."

The Meowth slashed Vixen several times.

"Vixen, are you okay?" Chiaki asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." said Vixen, "His attacks aren't as powerful, thanks to the burn I gave him."

"Okay." said Chiaki, "Try using Psychic again."

The Fennekin let out a blast of psychic energy at the Meowth. This time, Psychic was successful.

"I'm not doin' so well, Nagito..." Cait Sith said.

"Don't worry." said Nagito, as he gave his Pokemon a potion.

"Hey! No fair!" Vixen complained.

"There's no rule against using items." Nagito said, "Chiaki can use items on you as well, if she needs to."

"Vixen, do you need potion, too?" Chiaki asked.

"No... I think I'm okay." said the Fennekin, "Save it for when I'm **really** in trouble."

Chiaki nodded before looking back at Nagito.

"I believe it's your move." she said.

"No, I used my move giving Cait Sith a potion." said Nagito, "You make the next move."

"Okay..." said Chiaki, "Flame Charge, Vixen!"

Vixen was covered in fire, and tackled the Meowth. Her speed increased in the process.

"Slash." Nagito said.

Cait Sith used a powerful slash attack. It was a critical hit.

"Looks like my luck's turning around for the better." said Nagito.

"I can... Still fight." said Vixen.

However, instead of commanding an attack, Chiaki gave Vixen a potion.

"Sorry, Vixen." said Chiaki, "But you looked like you were getting hurt. I didn't want to take the chance."

"No, I understand." said Vixen, "But I think I have an idea."

The Fennekin used her paws to signal a "Time Out."

"There's something I want to discuss with my trainer in private." she said.

"But we're in the middle of a battle..." said Cait Sith.

"It won't take long." said the Fennekin.

"Okay, I'll allow it." said Nagito.

* * *

Vixen then walked to the corner of the stage, signaling Chiaki to follow.

"What is it?" Chiaki asked.

"Upon battling, do you remember what Cait Sith said? Nagito's luck cycle comes into play when he battles."

"Yeah, I remember." said Chiaki.

"Well, think of it." said Vixen, "Nagito was really lucky to land that critical hit, right? So who's going to be lucky the next turn?"

"...Us." said Chiaki.

"Exactly, which is why I planned to use a fire move on the turn while my health was low."

"Right... Your Blaze ability. Sorry for ruining your plan, Vixen."

"No, it's fine. After all, if the luck cycle where to continue, I would have been knocked out on the next turn. Plus, I didn't discuss the plan with you, so we would have been out of sync.

"You're right..." said Chiaki, "We do our best when we're in sync."

"So, our next move will be a lucky one." said Vixen.

"Should we use Psychic?" Chiaki asked.

"I'll have a high chance of actually using Psychic..." said Vixen, "However, I think it's best to use a fire move."

"Then we should use Flame Burst." said Chiaki.

"Yeah." said the Fennekin, "I have a feeling it'll do more damage."

"Alright." said Chiaki, "I trust you."

"I trust you, too, Chiaki." said Vixen, "You're my trainer, after all."

Vixen was about to walk back to the battlefield, when Chiaki stopped her.

"Before that..." Chiaki pulled out a black cloth and put it around Vixen's neck.

"What's this?" Vixen asked.

"My mother made it." said Chiaki, "It was originally for her Vulpix, but unfortunately she fell ill and died. So she gave it to me, hoping I'd give it to a Fire Type Pokemon I trust."

"But... Why Fire Type specifically?" asked the Fennekin.

"Well, mother said it was fire resistant, and even boost Fire Type attacks." said Chiaki,

"And you want me to have it?"

"Sure. I told you already that I trust you, Vixen. And because we're fighting someone with a bizarre luck cycle, think of it as a good luck charm."

"...Thank you, Chiaki." said Vixen, "This is really nice."

"You're welcome, Vixen." Chiaki said.

* * *

Chiaki and her Fennekin returned to the stage.

"You two ready then?" Nagito asked.

Both Chiaki and Vixen nodded, both having expressions of determination.

"Alright." said Nagito, "Make your next move."

"Flame Burst?" Vixen asked.

"Flame Burst." Chiaki answered.

As Vixen was about to let out a burst of fire, red aura surrounded her. Funny enough, red aura also surrounded Chiaki as well.

"Well, I'll be..." Nagito said, "Is this... What I think it is? Is your trust and hope for each other granting you a new power? Is this... Soul Link?"

"Do it, Vixen!" Chiaki said, "Unleash the Flame Burst!"

The Fennekin let out a fire ball, which grew bigger and bigger.

"Yes..." said Nagito, "It is... Ha ha... Ha ha ha ha ha! Wonderful! Your hope for your Pokemon is wonderful! The Soul Link is increasing the power of your Flame Burst ten fold, transforming it into... INFERNO OVERDRIVE!"

The massive fire ball was then launched at Cait Sith.

"This is goin' ta hurt..." he said, as the fire ball made impact and knocking him out.

"What a wonderful display of hope!" said Nagito, "Round one goes to you."

Nagito returned his Meowth into his Poke-Ball afterwards.

* * *

"THAT WAS SO AWESOME!" Masaru called out.

"YOU'VE GOTTA TEACH ME THAT!" shouted Goku.

"USE YOUR INDOOR VOICES, YOU TWO!" yelled Kiyotaka.

Hajime was also amazed at what he saw. However, he was also consurned.

"You noticed it too, didn't you?" Ryoko asked.

"Yeah..." said Hajime, "Both Chiaki and Vixen became very exhausted after unleashing such a move."

"That might be bad." said Ryoko, "That was only Nagito's first Pokemon. And let's face it, Cait Sith's a pushover compared to who's coming next."

"And... Who would that be?" Hajime asked nervously.

"See for yourself." said Ryoko.

* * *

"I must congratulate you for unlocking such power in this gym battle." said Nagito, "However, it seems you're still not use to it, and it's already taken a lot out of you. I doubt you'd be able to use Soul Link again in this battle. It's a real shame, because it would have been useful for my next two Pokemon... Who are far stronger than Cait Sith."

Nagito then took out his next Poke-Ball.

"Go, Falkor!"

Nagito let out a Drampa, which caused both Chiaki and Vixen to gasp.

"Drampa..." said Chiaki, "That's... A rare and powerful Normal and Dragon type..."

"Yeah..." said Vixen, "I'm beginning to think bringing out Killia wouldn't be such a bad idea..."

"No... He'll be my last resort." said Chiaki, "I want to give each of you a chance to grow stronger..."

"Yeah, I understand..." said Vixen.

"With that said, it's clear the last battle exhausted you." said Chiaki, "I'll switch you out..."

"Let me at least wear him down a bit." said Vixen.

"But..."

"It's okay. If I lose, I lose..." said the Fennekin, "But at least I can help your next Pokemon have an easier win."

Chiaki remained silent.

"Please, Chiaki..."

"...Okay." said Chiaki, "But be careful, and don't overdo it."

Vixen nodded.

"So, you're going to continue to battle with your Fennekin?" Nagito asked, "You two really trust each other, don't you. I just love seeing the hope that strengthens the bond between trainer and Pokemon... However, I have hope for my Pokemon as well."

"What would you have me do, Nagito?" Falcor the Drampa asked.

"...Return." Nagito answered.

Falcor unleashed a powerful tackle, which sent Vixen flying.

"Vixen!" Chiaki called out.

From the look of it, Chiaki was in pain as well. After landing on the ground, Vixen struggled to get up.

"Vixen, I'm switching you out...!"

"No... My current HP is perfect..." said the Fennekin, "Let me dish out another Flame Burst."

"But Falcor's next move will..."

"It's okay..." said Vixen, "But at least I'll wear him down a little. And if we're lucky..."

Instead of finishing her sentence, Vixen just looked at Chiaki. It was clear she stopped because they knew what each other were thinking. And sure enough, they were.

"Alright." said Chiaki.

She still struggled, but Vixen got back on her feet.

"Flame Burst!" Chiaki said.

The Fennekin burst into flames, and let out a powerful fire ball. It obviously wasn't as powerful as Inferno Overdrive, but fortunately, luck was on their side. The attack was strengthened, thanks to Vixen's blaze ability, and it landed a critical, as well as a burn.

"Nice job." said Nagito, "Now, Falcor... Dragon Breath!"

The Drampa let out a powerful blast from his mouth, knocking out the Fennekin.

"Vixen...!" Chiaki said, before she too fell to the ground in pain.

* * *

"What's wrong with Miss Chiaki?" Kotoko asked.

Hajime remembered what Nagito said about Soul Links being double-edged swords. All the damage Vixen took upon entering entering Soul Link, Chiaki was taking it as well.

"Will she be okay?" Aiko asked.

The crowd on the bleachers watched as Nagito had some of his assistance give Vixen some healing items.

* * *

Chiaki's pain began to fade. As she got up on her feet, she saw that Vixen was alright as well.

"I normally don't heal my opponent's Pokemon during a battle..." Nagito said, "But I'll make an exception for you since you probably don't know much about Soul Link."

"Soul Link?" Chiaki repeated.

"It's when you and your Pokemon are in perfect synchronization, which allow new powers to be unlocked. The cost is that any damage your Pokemon takes, you take as well."

"So, that's what was happening to me..." said Chiaki.

"Now, to make this fair, I'm afraid Vixen can't continue to battle. You'll have to switch her out."

"I understand..." Chiaki said.

The Fennekin walked up to her trainer soon after.

"Well... That was fun..." Vixen said, "I may have been disqualified, but it was a good battle none the less..."

"You did really well." Chiaki said, "I'm proud of you."

Chiaki returned Vixen to her Poke-Ball.

"I've got to say... You're an amazing trainer, Chiaki." Nagito said.

"The same can be said for you, Nagito." Chiaki said.

"Naw... I'm just lucky."

"No, you **are** a good trainer. Luck or not, you care about your Pokemon, don't you?"

"Of course. They're my family." Nagito said.

"Anyone who considers their Pokemon their family is a good trainer in my book." said Chiaki.

After the exchange of words, Chiaki let out her next Pokemon.

"Let's go, Welch!"

Out came the happy little Aipom.

"My first battle with my trainer!" she said, "This'll be fun!"

"Your move, Chiaki." said Nagito.

"Low Kick!" Chiaki said.

The purple monkey made a swift kick at the large dragon. Although not the heaviest Pokemon in the world, Falcor was heavy enough to do some damage.

"Nice strategy..." said Nagito.

"...You're going to use a potion, aren't you?" Welch asked.

"Don't worry, I only bring one Potion per Gym Battle." Nagito said, "...However..."

The Chiaki and Welch soon realized that the Drampa was holding a Oran Berry, which it soon consumed.

"Ah... Much better." said Falcor.

"I had to say something, didn't I...?" said the Aipom.

"Don't worry." said Chiaki, "Vixen still left a burn on him. You should still be able to win this."

"Okay." said Welch, "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Use Double Team!" said Nagito.

The Drampa began to make illusions of himself.

"This is going to make things more difficult..." said the Aipom, "Kind of makes me wish I can learn Aura Sphere..."

"Try to use Low Kick again." said Chiaki, "Maybe we'll be lucky..."

No such luck. Welch just hit an illusion.

"Play Nice." Nagito said.

Falcor lowered Welch's attack.

"L-Low Kick..." Chiaki said hesitantly.

It made a hit, but wasn't as powerful this time.

"Glare." said Nagito.

Falcor made a terrifying glare a the Aipom, paralyzing her.

"Uh... F-Fury Swipe..." Chiaki tried something new.

Unfortunately, Welch was completely paralyzed.

"Echoed Voice."

Falcor let out a loud cry.

"Try Fury Swipe again." said Chiaki.

"Protect." Nagito quickly said.

Due to the force field Falcor created, he took no damage.

"He's... St-stalling..." Welch said.

"Low Kick..." Chiaki said.

Paralysis struck once again.

"This is not good..." said Welch.

"Return." Nagito said.

A powerful blow from the Drampa. Welch was out for the count.

"So much for being a secret weapon..." said a dizzy Welch.

"You did your best." said Chiaki, "That's all I can ask for."

After returning Welch to her Poke-Ball, Chiaki sent out Yoshimitsu.

"Na-Mu..." the Nuzleaf said, as he made a battle pose.

"A Nuzleaf, huh?" said Nagito, "An interesting choice."

"Ah ha! I get to take on a mighty dragon!" said the Nuzleaf, "I expect this to be a magnificent battle!"

"I'll be sure to provide you with that, little one." said Falcor.

"Bide, Yoshimitsu." said Chiaki.

"I am one step ahead of thee."

Bide was already in effect.

"Flamethrower!" Nagito said.

Falcor shot a powerful wave of flames at the Nuzleaf.

"Yoshimitsu!"

"F-fear not, my lady..." said Yoshimitsu, "I predicted this dragon would have such a move. I can handle it..."

He had to be bluffing. He was taking massive damage. And since he was using Bide, he was wide open for another attack.

"Use another Flamethrower." Nagito said.

Another blast of fire.

"No...!" Chiaki said.

The Nuzleaf was badly burned from the last attack.

"...One HP left." said Yoshimitsu, "That's all I needed."

Yoshimitsu unleashed the full force of the Bide, and took out the Drampa. However, due to his burn, he also fainted. It was a double knock out.

"Well done..." said Nagito, "I now only have one Pokemon left. Beat him, and you will win."

As everyone expected, Nagito let out his Pidgeot.

"Now, Zeke..." said Nagito, "Let's show her **our** Soul Link"

Aura surrounded both Nagito and Zeke, and soon, Zeke Mega Evolved into Mega Pidgeot.

'This is just like what happened with Chihiro and Sync...' Chiaki thought.

Seeing as Yoshimitsu was very low on health, Chiaki knew he wouldn't be able to battle, especially with the type disadvantage.

"I'm switching you out, Yoshimitsu." she said.

"A wise decision, my lady." said the Nuzleaf.

After having her Nuzleaf return, Chiaki sent out her Shinx.

"My turn, huh...?" said Coden, "Looks like we're fighting the Pidge... WHOA! WHAT KIND OF PIDGEOT IS **THAT**?!"

"I think this kind of evolution has to do with that Soul Link power Vixen and I used before..."

"You and Vixen used it, too?" the Shinx asked, "Did she evolve also?"

"No, but she unleashed a powerful move."

"That sounds awesome..." Coden said, "I wonder if we can do that to..."

"I wouldn't advise that." said Nagito, "Chiaki became a little two exhausted from it's last use. I don't think she could handle using it again so soon."

"Oh..." said Coden, "Then I'm in trouble..."

"Don't say that, Coden." said Chiaki, "You don't need a boost from Soul Link to win this. I believe you can win this. Just remember what Killia taught you."

"...Okay." said Coden, "I'll try my best."

"I'll make the first move." said Nagito, "Zeke, use Ariel Ace!"

Though the attack wasn't very effective, the blow still intimidated Coden a bit.

"Calm down, Coden..." Chiaki said, "You'll be fine."

Coden breathed in and out.

"...Okay." said the Shinx, "What should I do now?"

"Charge." said Chiaki.

The Shinx boosted his energy.

"Twister." Nagito said.

Zeke trapped Coden into a vortex. Once the vortex faded, Coden fell to the ground.

"Are you okay, Coden?" Chiaki asked.

"Y-yeah." said the Shinx, "The Charge made the impact not as powerful.

"Alright... Use Thunder Fang."

Coden ran towards the Pidgeot and bit him with electrified fangs. It was super effective.

"Hrk...! Good move..." Nagito said, "Try using Hurricane now."

Because of his Ability, No Guard, Zeke was able to land the Hurricane perfectly. It may not have been very effective, but it still had great power. The fact that the charge had faded ever since using Thunder Fang also made him lose the extra SP Defence.

"M-my head's spinning..." Coden said.

The move seemed to have confused him.

"Coden, hang in there!" Chiaki said, "Use Thunder Fang!"

Coden had covered his fangs in electricity, but then the attack short circuited, causing him to hurt himself instead.

"His health is low, Zeke." said Nagito, "Quick attack!"

With high speed, the Pidgeot attacked Coden and knocked him to the ground.

"Coden!" Chiaki shouted.

At first the Shinx didn't move, but then he attempted to get up.

"Don't push yourself, Coden..." Chiaki said, "If you need to return, I'll have Killia take over..."

"I'm... Not... Done yet..." Coden said, "I still have... A little bit of fight left... And besides... That last attack... Knocked some sense into me..."

Coden was on his feet, although his legs were shaking do to the pain. Chiaki then looked in her bag to see if she had any more berries or potions.

"No, Chiaki..." Coden said, "If you use an item, you'll waste a turn."

"But you're hurt..."

"Yeah, but so is Zeke. I think if I can hit him one more time, I can beat him..."

Coden then surrounded himself in electricity.

"No..." Chiaki said, "Coden, don't do **that!** "

Instead of complying, Coden rushed towards the Pidgeot.

"It looks like he's going to use Wild Charge..." said Nagito, "It seems this will end with another double knockout.

As the electrified Shinx dashed towards Zeke, he jumped and open his mouth, and all the electricity surrounding him stored into his fangs.

"What...?" Nagito was a bit sock

With the extra power he stored, Coden landed a critical Thunder Fang, with did explosive damage.

"AAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Nagito screamed.

Zeke was down for the count, and so was Nagito. Chiaki rushed over to the gym leaders side.

"I'm sorry..." she said.

"Sorry?" Nagito said, "Don't be sorry. That battle was splendid! I'd be glad to take this pain to see such a sight... Heh heh..."

"I enjoyed the battle as well..." said Zeke, "...I could really go for some Oran Berries, though."

Chiaki quickly got some berries from her bag and gave them to the Pidgeot. Both he and Nagito were back on their feet afterwards.

"Congratulations, Chiaki." Nagito said, "You've won the battle, and for that, you win the Lucky Badge."

Nagito placed the badge in Chiaki's hand.

"Like I said before, I have two other gifts for you."

Nagito then handed her the TM "Return."

"And as for the other gift... I'll give it to you after you give some attention to your Shinx."

"You're right." said Chiaki, "He'll need some healing after that battle..."

"That's not what I'm talking about." Nagito said.

"Huh...?" said Chiaki, "Then... What do you..."

"Um... Chiaki..." Coden said, "I feel a little weird..."

The Shinx' body suddenly glowed, and doubled in size. His mane also grew larger. Coden had evolved into a Luxio. After that, Killia came out of his Poke-Ball.

"I told you it was almost time, didn't I?" he said.

"So this was what you meant?" said the Luxio, "...Well, I did just fight a Mega Pidgeot, right?"

"Yes, but you also gained some experience from our training." said Killia, "Even if it was against a regular Pidgeot, you'd have evolved."

"I'm so proud of you, Coden..." Chiaki said.

"Th-thanks, Chiaki..." said Coden.

"So much hope..." said Nagito, "...Now, than... Why don't you follow me."

Chiaki's eyes sparkled when she entered the room. There she saw a litter of young Eevee.

"For each winner who cares for their Pokemon like family, I give them an Eevee to take care of. They're young, but they'll grow fast if given to a good trainer."

The adorableness of these Eevee was almost mesmerizing. Chiaki began to wonder what Kotoko's fate would be if she entered this room. This might be too much cute to handle.

"...Go ahead." Nagito said, "Pick one."

Chiaki looked at liter of Eevee. As soon as they noticed her, they all got excited and started shouting "Pick me! Pick me!" All but one of them.

"What's wrong with that one?" Chiaki asked.

"He's shy and doesn't speak much." said Nagito.

"Does he not get along with the others?" Chiaki asked.

"He does, but... He tends to shut down around strangers..."

"...Killia." Chiaki said to her Lucario.

"Already on it." said Killia, "Although it's true he's shy, this one feels no one will like him because he's mute."

"Mute?" said Nagito, "I thought he was just quiet. I didn't know he was actually mute."

"Indeed, he's mute." said Killia, "And because of that, he feels like he's not good enough for anybody."

"He thinks he's not good enough..." Coden said, "I know the feeling..."

"Does he have a name?" Chiaki asked.

"No." said Nagito, "The trainer who picks them gets to name them."

"Then I think I'll name him after a silent hero from one of my favorite video game series." said Chiaki, "I'll call him 'Link.'"

"So, you're picking that one, huh?" Nagito said, "Link... That's a great name."

The other Eevee cheered.

"You've been picked!" one said.

"We're so happy for you!" said another.

Link looked at his new trainer with big eyes full of wonder.

"Welcome to the team, Link." said Chiaki.

The mute Eevee smiled and wagged his tail. He then jumped in Chiaki's arms and cuddled her.

"Link is now yours to keep." said Nagito, "Take good care of him."

"I will..." said Chiaki.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	7. Chapter 7: A Promise Between Men

After receiving Link, Chiaki had more than six Pokemon, which meant she had to send one to the Neo World Program. However, she couldn't decide who to send. Other than Killia, each Pokemon was fairly new, and she wanted to spend time with each of them. But she also couldn't send Killia there since he was her strongest Pokemon, and he would be able to fight off the Shadow Pokemon a lot better than the others. It would have been a difficult decision, if it weren't for what happened next.

"I volunteer." said Welch.

"Really?" said Coden, "I thought you wanted to go with Chiaki since it was too stuffy in the route you came from. Wouldn't you want to continue traveling?"

"Sure I would." said Welch, "But I also want to see new places, and the Neo World Program counts as a new place. Besides, going into a virtual reality sounds so cool! I wanna check it out! Maybe It'll take me to a beach, or a fancy hotel, or even both!"

"There's also the fact that like Link, Welch is a normal type." said Killia, "Having one of the normal types go the the Neo World Program would balance the team better."

"I doubt Link would remain a normal type for too long, being an Eevee and all." Vixen said.

"Oh, that's right..." said Chiaki, "Which Eeveelution did you want to become, Link?"

Link gave it some thought, and than just shrugged.

"Okay. There's no need to rush." said Chiaki, "There's plenty of time to give it some thought."

Link nodded.

"Whelp, this is Welch, signing out!" said the Aipom.

The purple monkey entered her Poke-Ball, and Chiaki sent her into the PC. Doing so, she saw her account was connected to the Neo World Program. Along with that, something quite amazing.

"Hey, look it! I was right! I'm at a beach, and there's a hotel right over there!"

Welch was on the screen, but she wasn't her usual self.

"What are you guys staring at?" Welch asked.

"Welch, look at yourself..." Killia said.

The Aipom looked at her hands, and realized she wasn't exactly an Aipom anymore. Her hands were more... Human like. To confirm this, she ran towards the water, most likely to see her reflection. What she would see was a purple hair humanoid girl having a few Aipom like features.

"Holy Arceus!" Welch shouted.

"So, the Neo World Program... Makes the Pokemon appear human?" Chiaki asked.

"No..." said Killia, "I think it gives them the appearance of what we'd look like if we returned to our world. Remember what Juto said before? We're our own people."

"And I so happen to be an incredibly cute girl!" Welch said, "Whitney's got **nothing** on me!"

"Wait... Whitney still exist in this universe?" Coden asked.

"Best not to question it." said Vixen.

"By the way, my lady." said Yoshimitsu, "Wasn't thou planning to introduce our **other** new member?"

"Yes, I was." said Chiaki, "But like I said before, I'll do it when we're out of town, that way the kids don't see her..."

"Her?" said Welch, "So it's a girl..."

Soon, Kotoko came near the PC to get Chiaki.

"The next battle is about to start!" she said, "You don't want to miss it, do you?"

"Of course not." said Chiaki, "I'll be right there."

* * *

Aiko's battle went well. Usalia was able to deal with Cait Sith, Falco was a breeze for Fluttershy, and Aries the Ampharos was able to keep up with Zeke. After she received her badge, TM, and Eevee, there was another intermission before the next battle.

"You did really well, Aiko." said Kiyotaka.

"Thank you." Aiko said timidly.

"Hey! What did you name your Eevee?" Kotoko asked.

"I named her 'Yang.'" said the Pikachu Girl.

"Let me guess; You plan to evolve her into a Jolteon?"

"Actually, I've already have two electric types, so I thought a Flareon would be a better choice. They have plenty of yellow on them, and plus they're really pretty."

"Good choice." said Nagisa, "It's good to have a wider variety of types on your team."

* * *

Next, it was Hajime's turn. Blue Beetle had no trouble with the Meowth, but dealing with the Drampa was a little tougher, despite the type advantage. Zeroken was able to finish the battle off, defeating both Falcor and Zeke.

("My battle had to be skimmed through, too?" Hajime complained.)

Hajime got his badge and TM, as well as an Eevee he named "Yaten"

"All of you did great." Nagito said, "Each of you had so much hope for your Pokemon. It was such an honor battling each of you."

"It was an honor getting to battle the Gym Leader." said Chiaki, "You were really strong."

"Maybe one day we can have a battle with my **full** team." Nagito said.

"You better let me in this one as well, Nagito." said Weiss, "I want to show them my skills as well."

"Alright, Weiss." said Nagito.

"Please, come back and visit!" said Kotoko.

"Yeah! And have another battle with us!" said Masaru.

"Maybe by then, I'll be a Super Say... Er, Infernape!" said Goku.

"We'll be sure to do that." Chiaki said.

"Remember..." said Kiyotaka, "The path of a Pokemon Trainer is a dangerous one but as long as you and your Pokemon have trust in each other, you will make it through to the end."

* * *

The crew were now at the next route. This was the point they had to split up.

"You three be careful." Chihiro said, "The farther you go, the more likely you'll run into wild Shadow Pokemon. Without a trainer to guide them, they're far more feral then the ones Team Chaos has."

"We'll be careful." said Hajime.

Chiriro nodded before looking at Aiko.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Oh... Um, yeah." Aiko answered.

The two teams took their separate paths and continued their journey.

* * *

"It's so nice to be out of the Poke-Ball again!" Haruhi the Buneary said, "But does the stupid Zoroark have to be out, too?"

"Look here, you little brat! I was Ryoko's Pokemon first, and plus I'm older, so I have seniority over you!"

"Ha! You're not the boss of me!" said the Buneary.

"Damn it, Ryoko!" said Loki, "Why'd you have to catch **her?!** I met Bidoof that were less annoying than this brat!"

"Stop fighting, you two!" said Ryoko, "We're suppose to be a team, so act like it."

"Yeah, Loki, act your age!" said Haruhi.

"She was talking to you too, rabbit!" said the Zoroark.

"Ryoko, may I ask you something?" said Chiaki.

"Sure, go ahead." Ryoko answered.

"How come you usually walk with more than one Pokemon?"

"Oh... Well, it's so that not only can I bond with my Pokemon, but they can bond with each other as well."

" **Like we'd ever bond with each other!** " Loki and Haruhi said in unison.

"I see... I should really try to do that more often, too... Oh, hey..." said Chiaki, "I almost forgot. My team wanted to meet the new member."

"You mean the Shadow Pokemon Chihiro gave you?" ask Ryoko.

"Uh huh." said Chiaki, "If I have the team get to know her, she might open up faster."

Chiaki let out her Pokemon, and then held up the Despair Ball.

"Now, everyone..." said Chiaki, "Make sure you help her feel welcomed to the team, okay."

"Right." Chiaki's team said in unison.

Chiaki then let the Shadow Pokemon out of her Poke-Ball.

"The Shadow Popplio..." Hajime said.

"The one Leon had." said Ryoko.

The Pokemon tried greeting her, but she just growled back.

"How are we suppose to make her feel welcomed if she won't even welcome us?" Coden asked.

"It'll take some time." said Killia, "She **is** a Shadow Pokemon, after all."

"If she becomes familiar with her comrades, she will most likely be less hostile to us." said Yoshimitsu.

"That's right." said Chiaki, "I'm sure if we continue to be there for her, she'll recognize us as her friends."

* * *

Meanwhile, Chihiro and Aiko were heading their way. The Pikachu girl found the silence a little awkward, so she thought she'd try to start a conversation.

"S-so, uh..."

"Yeah...?" said Chihiro.

Aiko felt this became even more awkward. She should have found a subject to bring up before even saying anything.

"...I get it." Chihiro said, "You're shy, aren't you? Believe me, I can relate."

"What do you mean?" said Aiko, "You didn't seem shy when you fought Leon. You didn't even seem scared..."

"But I was." Chihiro said, "Even if I didn't show it, I was afraid I could have died. But more than that, I was afraid if I lost, I would have let you all down. It wasn't just **my** life on the line... But the lives of everyone's Pokemon, too. If I'd have lost, all of your Pokemon would be turned into Shadow Pokemon."

Hearing that, it was indeed a plausible reason to be scared. Aiko doubted she would have been able to go through with the Specter Battle if she were the one who'd have volunteer... Oh, who was she kidding? She wouldn't volunteer, period.

"...How do you do it?" Aiko asked, "How do you look so calm when deep down you're so terrified."

"To put it simply... I don't let fear decide my fate, nor do I let it stop me from doing what's right. Yeah, it's scary, but that's no reason to not move forward. You see, courage isn't the absence of fear, but the conquest of it."

"...You got that from a fortune cookie, didn't you?"

"Alright, you caught me..." said Chihiro, "It is the truth, though. Just because your scared, doesn't mean you can't be brave at the same time. Don't get rid of the fear; overcome it, and show it who's boss."

Aiko was amazed by the boy next to her. He wasn't all that tall or had a huge build... But despite that, he was one of the strongest guys she's ever met. As much as she admired that, it also discouraged her a little.

"...I wish I knew how to be as strong as you..." Aiko said.

"...You can be, Aiko." said Chihiro, "You can even be stronger."

"I can never be stronger than you..." said Aiko, "Not someone like me..."

"Of course you can..." said Chihiro, "After all, I used to be a weak willed person as well."

"...You're kidding."

"Not at all... I was a terrified kid who thought he could never be strong. I would always be too afraid to do anything, and I'd never move forward. I was so afraid of being called weak, I even masqueraded as a girl for a time."

"Masqueraded as a...? You mean you cross dressed?!"

"Yeah. I apparently pulled it off really well, too. I had everyone fooled."

Aiko began to imagine Chihiro in a dress.

"...Aiko? Are you okay?" said Chihiro, "Your face became red all of a sudden."

"Ye-yeah! I'm fine..." Aiko said.

There was an awkward silence before anyone said anything else.

"...What changed all that?" Aiko asked, "What made you grow into the strong person you are now?"

"Well..." said Chihiro, "It all started when I met Mondo..."

* * *

Three months ago, Chihiro met a biker named Mondo, who was one of the strongest people he's ever met. At first, he was scared of him, but when he got to learn more about him and saw that hiding under all that brawn was a heart of gold, Chihiro really looked up to him. And it was Mando who inspired Chihiro to strive to become stronger.

'If I have Mando train me...' Chihiro thought, 'I can become strong just like him... And I can go back to being a boy.'

It was a good thing Kiyotaka was a good friend of Mando's. Because of this, Taka was able to introduce Chihiro to the biker, something Chihiro was too shy to do on his own.

"Chihiro wanted to meet you in person." Kiyotaka said, "She really looks up to you."

"Really...?" Mando asked, "I'm not exactly the best role model..."

"I admire that you're so strong!" Chihiro said, "I want to be strong like you...!"

Chihiro didn't even realize he might have said to much.

"...You don't have to be like me to be strong." Mando said, "In fact, I bet you're a lot stronger than you think."

"That's..." Chihiro began to say, only to remain quiet.

"Listen, I'm flattered to have a fan and all, but I think my bro here is a better role model than I am."

Mando was about to walk away, when Chihiro stopped him.

"Please... There's something important I really need to tell you...!"

Mando stopped.

"...I'm listening."

"...In private." Chihiro said.

"...Alright." Mando said, "Follow me."

* * *

Mando was really quiet. He looked as if he was pondering. It took some time for him to actually speak again.

"So, let me get this straight... You're actually a boy?"

Chihiro just nodded sheepishly.

"And, you want me to train you, so you can stop being a girl?" Mando asked.

"Y-yes, sir..." Chihiro said, "Please, t-teach me how to be as strong as you..."

Once again, Mando was quiet. He then turned around so he wasn't facing Chihiro.

"...Kid..." he said, "You already proved you're much stronger than me..."

Chihiro just tilted his head in confusion. As if he detected it, Mando continued.

"It takes a lot of guts to tell the truth like that."

"I was... Still scared..."

"But you pulled through 'till the end." said Mando, "Being strong doesn't mean you never have fear; It means you'll concur your fear and show it who's boss..."

"...I still want to be stronger than I am now." Chihiro said.

"...Alright." Mando said, "I'll help you."

"You will...?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah... You clearly have a lot of strength hiding inside you... And I'll do whatever I can to help you find it. And if this works, by the end of this, you'll become more of a man than me."

"I don't think I can be that strong..."

"Don't put yourself down like that!" Mando suddenly snapped, "If you're serious about this, than you need to have more confidence in yourself!"

Chihiro suddenly trembled. He looked like he was about to cry.

"...Look, I'm sorry, kid." Mando said, "But you have to understand that in order to pass my training, you can't keep putting yourself down. My training will be very strict, and that kind of attitude will prevent you from getting anywhere. Now, are you sure you're ready for this?"

Chihiro thought long and hard about it. Hearing that this training would be very strict frightened him, but something else frightened him even more.

"...If I don't go through with this... I may stay weak forever. So... I want to train with you! I'll do whatever it takes to become stronger!"

"...Good answer, kid." said Mando, "Alright. I'll train you. I'll do everything I can to help you find the strength hiding inside you. That's a promise between men."

* * *

As Mando promised, training was hard and strict. Chihiro would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to quit at times. He and his Pokemon had to go through a lot of hardship to press on.

"Don't give up, Chihiro!" Mando reminded him, "If you want to find your strength, you need to move forward!"

Mando would always tell him to never give up. He would always continue to push him whenever he was at his low point. He wouldn't allow Chihiro fall victim to doubt.

"You've been improving, kid! You may not see it, but you've come a long way! If you quit now, all of that improvement would have been in vain!"

There were times Chihiro failed. There were times he'd cry due to how hard it was. Mando allowed for these things to happen. In order to learn, you have to fail sometimes. However, the one thing he wouldn't allow Chihiro to do was give up. It was okay to fail, but not okay to give up because of it. It was okay to take a break once in a while, but not okay to let the hardship stop him from completing his goal. If Chihiro was set on finding his strength, he would keep moving forward, no matter how difficult it was. Failing wasn't an obstacle, but a stepping stone to help one learn and improve. Chihiro learned that from the training Mando gave him, and he would never forget it.

"You've done very well, Chihiro." Mando said, "I think you're ready for your final test."

"I am?" said Chihiro.

"Yeah... But you have to know, this is going to be your toughest test you ever had. In fact, if you don't pass this test... Then you could die. Upon hearing that, do you still want to go on with it? I understand if you don't..."

A test that could get him killed if he fails. Of course Chihiro was terrified upon hearing that. But he also wanted to become stronger. He needed to find the strength inside him so he can hold his head up high and not be such a weakling anymore.

"...I'll do it." Chihiro said.

"Once you go through with it, there's no way out of it. You'll have see this through to the end with absolutely no breaks and no quitting. Now, are you absolutely sure about this?"

"...Yes." Chihiro answered, "I am."

"...Alright, kid." Mando said, "Follow me."

* * *

Mando led Chihiro into a secluded place so they could be alone.

"Now, you and I are going to have a Pokemon Battle." Mando said, "But not just any Pokemon Battle..."

Mando revealed a he was wearing a Team Chaos bracelet. Upon pressing the button on it, a Shadow Darkrai appeared.

"This is a Specter Battle! If you lose this, the Darkrai will kill you! Now, use everything I taught you to take me down! Fight like your life depends on it because it does! Show me that you're not a little boy anymore! Show me that you've become a man!"

Chihiro couldn't believe what was going on. The man he looked up to was part of Team Chaos, and now he's gotten himself in a battle that could potentially kill him. He's was panicked.

"...I know you're scared, Chihiro..." said Mando, "But what have I taught you about fear?"

Despite all this... Despite revealing his true identity, Mando still sounded like his teacher.

"...Don't let fear concur you. Concur the fear, and show it who's boss."

"That's what I like to hear." said Mando.

The battle commenced afterwards. Mando let out a Dodrio, and Chihiro let out a Kabuto.

"Drill Peck!" Mando commanded.

"Ancient Power, Tekuta!" Chihiro Commanded.

The moves hit each other. Even though Ancient Power was Super Effective, the Dodrio was much more powerful in terms of strength, and was able to withstand it. Fortunately, Tekuta's rock body was also able to withstand the powerful flying type move.

"Now, use Jump Kick!"

The Dodrio jumped in the air and launched a kick at Kabuto. With the Super effective move, Tekuta was out for the count. This made Chihiro tremble, for he was one step closer to losing.

"Hey, the battle's not over yet." Mando said, "If the odds are against you, turn those odds around! Keep going!"

Chihiro took out his next Pokemon. It was a Yanma.

"Sparx, use Steel Wing!" Chihiro commanded.

The Yanma's wings were covered in a metal coating and struck the Dodrio.

"Tri-Attack, Kieth!" said Mando.

The Dodrio shot a blast from each mouth. One was a fire blast, one was an ice blast, and one was an electric blast. All three made contact with Sparks.

"Are you okay?" Chihiro asked.

"I can still fight." Sparx answered.

"Alright. Use Air Slash!"

Sparx attacked by flapping his wings, causing a strong wind to attack the Dodrio.

"Come on! Give him a Drill Peck!"

Upon Mando's command, Keith attacked with his beak while spinning like a drill.

"Try to dodge it!" Chihiro panicked.

The Yanma tried his best to dodge, but the Dodrio was too fast for him. A direct hit. Sparx had fainted.

"No..." Chihiro said.

"Come on, Chihiro!" said Mando, "I know you can do better than that! Stop holding back!"

"I'm not..." Chihiro said, "You're just that much stronger than me..."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT!" Mando snapped, "What happened to the Chihiro I trained before?! The one who didn't give up, despite the odds! You're stronger than you think! You're more of a man than you realize! If that weren't the case, I'd never put you through this Specter Battle! Now, show me the man I've been training all this time!"

Chihiro was a little stunned by Mando's words. Even now, he believed in him and said he was strong. The time he trained with Mando soon came back to him.

'...Mando...' Chihiro thought, 'You never gave up on me once... And despite the circumstances, you still haven't given up on me...'

Chihiro grabbed another Poke-Ball from his belt and threw it.

"Go, Toph!"

Out of the Poke-Ball came a Vibrava.

"Another dragonfly, huh?" said Mando.

"Actually, Vibrava are ant-lions." Chihiro corrected him.

"Oh... Well, I wouldn't really know. Never heard of an ant-lion before."

"Sir..." said the Dodrio, "I'm not sure we should be battling this one."

"Why? What's up, Kieth?" Mando asked.

"Look at her eyes." the Dodrio said, "I think she might be blind."

"Don't take my blindness for a weakness!" Toph snapped, "I don't need my eyes to beat you."

"That's one confident Pokemon you got there." said Mando, "You ready to show me what she can do?"

"Yes..." said Chihiro, "I am..."

"Alright!" said Mando, "Your move, Chihiro!"

"Toph, use Supersonic!"

The Vibrava generated an odd sound wave from her body, which confused the Dodrio.

"That's going to make things difficult..." said Mando, "Try to use Drill Peck again!"

Upon the attempt, the Dodrio tripped and hurt himself.

"Rock Slide!" Chihiro quickly called out.

Toph summoned a bunch of boulders, which fell on top of the Dodrio. He fainted from the super effective move.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Mando said, "Keep that up, and you'll win this for sure."

Mando switched out Kieth for a Shadow Donphan.

"A Shadow Pokemon..." Chihiro said, starting to get scared again.

"Shadow Pokemon or not, you better not give up now, Chihiro." said Mando, "Use Shadow Fury!"

This move was very similar to Thrash, for the Nidoking started to rampage as he attacked. Some of the attacks hit, while others missed. Eventually, the Nidoking became confused.

"Use Bulldoze!" said Chihiro.

Toph's attack did moderate damage on the Shadow Pokemon.

"Shadow Quake!" said Mando.

The Donphan used a Shadow Move that was similar to Earthquake. Toph was trapped in a shadowy dome, which heavily shook. When the dome disappeared, however, Toph was completely unharmed.

"My ability is 'Levitate,' remember?" she asked.

"Right... My mistake." Mando said, "Well, it's your move, Chihiro."

"Alright..." said Chihiro, "Toph, use Boom Burst!"

The Vibrava unleashed a powerful sound wave, which caused the Shadow Donphan to be on his last leg.

"Managed to hold on..." said Mando, "Now, use Shadow Roll Out!"

The Shadow Donphan turned into a wheel and was about to attack, but instead of hitting Toph, he tripped and hit the ground in confusion. The Shadow Pokemon was knocked out.

"Looks like my own folly helped you out here Chihiro." Mando said, "Looks like I'm down to my last Pokemon. Are you ready?"

Chihiro nodded.

"You're almost done, Chihiro." Mando said, "Give it everything you've got."

Mando threw the Pokeball, and out came a Shadow Kirlia. Despite it's feminine appearance, this Kirlia was male.

"This here is Sync." Mando said, "He's my initiation Pokemon."

"Initiation Pokemon?" Chihiro repeated.

"Yeah... This Pokemon originally belonged to another trainer, but in order to join Team Chaos, I had to challenge him to a Specter Battle, beat him, and turn his Pokemon into a Shadow Pokemon."

"...And that trainer died?" Chihiro asked.

"That's the price of joining Team Chaos..." Mando answered.

"But... Why would someone like you join Team Chaos in the first place?"

"Win this battle, and I'll tell you. Now, give Sync a good fight, alright?"

Chihiro nodded.

"Can you still fight, Toph?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah." said the Vibrava, "Just tell me what to do."

"Start with Bug Buzz." Chihiro said.

This attack did a decent amount of damage, but due to Sync's Fairy typing being added to his Psychic typing, it wasn't a Super Effective hit.

"Shadow Psybeam!" said Mando.

Sync attacked with a shadowy psychic blast. A direct hit.

"Alright... Hit him with a Hyper Beam!"

Toph fired a powerful laser from her mouth. Unfortunately, the attacked missed.

"Shadow Pixie Dust!" Mando commanded.

Using a shadow version of Fairy Wind, Sync knocked out Toph.

"Return..." Chihiro said, calling back his Vibrava, "Now I'm down to my last Pokemon, too..."

Chihiro held the next Poke-Ball in his hand, staring at it for a good while.

'If the odds are against you, then turn them around...' he reminded himself.

Chihiro threw the Poke-Ball, and out came a Grotle.

"Let's do this, Nobu!" Chihiro said.

"Okay!" said the Grotle.

"Leaf Pledge!"

Nobu created a column of grass, which struck the Kirlia.

"Shadow Blitz!" said Mando.

Sync covered himself in shadow, and tackled the Grotle.

"Try using Seed Bomb!" said Chihiro.

The Grotle slams a barrage of hard-shelled seeds down on the target from above.

"Shadow Chain!" said Mando.

Sync summoned a shadowy chain that limited Nobu's movements, as well as occasionally drain some health from him.

'That's going to make things difficult...' Chihiro thought.

"Try to shake it off, Nobu!"

As hard as the Grotle tried, it would seem the chain wouldn't come off so easily.

"Alright, than try to use Giga Drain."

At Chihiro's command, Nobu drained the nutrients from the Kirlia.

'I can't stall forever, though...' Chihiro thought, 'If I don't get rid of those chains, I could lose...'

"Give 'em a Shadow Clash!"

Sync threw an energy ball in the air, which split into into dozens of energy arrows that crashed down on Nobu.

"G-Giga Drain!" said Chihiro.

Nobu drained energy from Sync again. However, because the last attack did quite a bit of damage, Nobu didn't regain as much health as before. It didn't help that the Shadow Chains were still draining energy back from Nobu.

"Shadow Psybeam!"

The Kirlia shot a psychic wave at the Grotle.

'Even if I use a Giga Drain again, I don't think that'll save him if the Kirlia uses another devastating move...' Chihiro thought to himself.

It seemed Nobu was able to detect Chihiro's destress.

"Please, don't give up on me just yet..." he said, "Even if things don't look so good, we can still turn this around."

"But how...?" Chihiro asked.

"Do you trust me?" asked the Grotle.

"Of course I do." Chihiro didn't even need to think before answering.

"Than let me use Heavy Slam."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have a plan, you see. Do you trust me to carry it out."

This time, Chihiro was a tad bit hesitant before answering. He did trust Nobu, but it didn't make him feel less nervous. If he loses, he'd die. Of course he'd still be scared. But he also remember what he had to do with fear...

'Concur it, and show it who's boss...'

"Nobu... Use Heavy Slam."

The Grotle nodded, and jumped in the air, attempting to land on Sync.

"It doesn't look like your Grotle outweighs Sync that much..." Mando said, "What exactly are you planning...?"

And suddenly, Nobu's body glowed, and he tripled in size. Two mountains and a large tree appeared on his shell, and he seemed to have more dinosaur like qualities. The sudden increase in size broke off all the chains, as well. Nobu had evolved into Torterra, and he was massive compared to Sync. With a mighty crash, Nobu landed on the Shadow Kirlia and knocked him out.

"We... Won...?" despite seeing it for himself, it took Chihiro a bit to process it.

"...Heh." Mando chuckled, "Well done, Chihiro. I've got nothing left to teach you."

The Darkrai appeared next to Mando in the blink of an eye.

"Listen, Erebus..." Mando told the Darkrai, "Before you do me in... Do you think you can give me a little time to speak to Chihiro?"

The Darkrai just stared at Mando.

"I promise I'll make it quick."

Erebus than looked over at Chihiro, than looked at Mando. After giving him a nod, the Darkrai backed up a bit.

"Thanks." Mando said, before heading Chihiro's way, "You did great, Chihiro. It makes me proud."

"Mando..." Chihiro said, "Is... Is that Darkrai... Really going to...?"

"That's how it has to be." Mando said, "I lost, so I have to pay the consequences."

"But... Why even go through with this Specter Battle in the first place?"

"...Because I wanted you to see for yourself that you're stronger than you realize." Mando said, "That... And I was hoping you would have what it takes to beat Team Chaos."

"About that..." Chihiro said, "You promised you would tell me why you joined if I win? So why are you with them? Why are you with Team Chaos?"

"...Because I was weak." Mando answered, "Because unlike you, I couldn't concur my fear and show it who's boss... So Team Chaos were able to blackmail me and make me join their team."

"But Mando... You're not weak..."

"...I killed my brother." Mando said, "I acted rash and reckless, and it got my older brother killed. I was never able to tell the rest of my biker gang, or anyone for that matter, what I've done, because my brother was also the leader of the group. I became the new leader, but deep down I knew I was nothing but a cowardly sham who could never live up to the brother I got killed. And somehow, Team Chaos found out, and used the knowledge against me to make me join their cause. All it took was for me to accept what I've done... To be strong and come clean about my mistake... But I kept my mouth shut... Because I was too weak to tell the truth... I was too afraid to find out what others would think if they ever found out. So instead, I did everything to hide the truth... Even if it met I had to join Team Chaos in oder to keep that secret."

Mando than handed his Poke-Balls to Chihiro.

"You're the real man in the end, Chihiro. You may have been scared of what people would think if they ever found out you were really a boy... But you finally came clean. Now, take care of my Pokemon, and take them to the Celebi at the Harmonia Shrine. She'll be able to purify the Shadow Pokemon with her powers... And maybe, you can find a way to make something that can purify multiple Shadow Pokemon at a time, and stop Team Chaos once and for all. Will you do that for me?"

"...Of course." Chihiro said, "And that's a promise between men."

Mando gave Chihiro a smile before shifting his attention at the Darkrai.

"Alright, Erebus. I'm ready now."

The Darkrai quickly came towards Mando and stared into his eyes.

* * *

Mando found himself tied up while on a bike. Riding in front of him was a twisted Panchum wearing a wig that looked just like Mando's hair.

"This'll be one wild ride! Puhuhuhu!" the twisted Panchum said.

The Panchum rode into a round cage, and ejected from his seat before entering. The bike rode inside the cage so fast, Mando's body wasn't able to handle it. He soon felt his body melt away...

* * *

After a huge explosion inside the cage, the bike finally stopped, but it's rider was gone. The bottom part of the cage had a green light go off, and out of the compartment came a package of Mando Butter.

* * *

To Chihiro's surprise, the Darkrai didn't touch Mando, yet he fell to his death after that dreadful stare. The glyph disappeared, and Erebus teleported away. Chihiro was no longer able to keep his composure, and he broke down and burst into tears.

* * *

"...After that, I explained to Kiyotaka what happened. I regretted it at first, since he wouldn't speak for a week after that, but when he finally came to, he told me he was grateful to hear the truth, and he understood why Mando did it. I also told everyone else the truth about being a boy. At first, everyone were shocked, but eventually, it didn't bother them anymore. They even told me that I've grown a lot since they first met me..."

"...That explains it..."

"Explains what...?"

"Oh...Well...I didn't think of it much before..." Aiko said, "But I remember when I saw Prof. Fujusaki on TV. Before, when he mentioned you, he referred to you as his 'child.' However, some time later, he started referring to you as his 'son.' I always wondered why he suddenly went from saying 'child' to 'son,' but now it all make sense."

"I see..." said Chihiro, "I guess father wanted to help keep my secret without flat out lying."

"By the way... Did you end up meeting the Celebi?" Aiko asked.

"Sure I did." said Chihiro, "That's how I got Sync and Yasu (the Shadow Donphan) purified, after all."

"And the Neo World Program... You created that because of the promise you made to Mando?"

"Yeah, that was part of it. I also wanted to save the Shadow Pokemon from Team Chaos' clutches, as well. But in the end, I don't think I'd have helped make the Purification Chamber or the Neo World Program if it weren't for Mando. He inspired me to keep moving forward, no matter how scary things get. And believe me, there were many trials and errors that made me want to give up in the end. But I never did. I kept going until I could finish it. But fortunately, I didn't have to do it alone. It went a little faster when I got some help from Yasuke, Miaya, and eventually Monaca."

"And in the end, you finally got the Neo World Program working..." Aiko said.

"Yeah." said Chihiro, "I managed to keep my promise."

"...You're so amazing..."

"Huh...?"

"I-I said **that's** so amazing!" said Aiko, "I mean, how much you've grown from a shy boy to one of the toughest trainers I've ever met... I really wish I could be as strong as you..."

"You can, Aiko." said Chihiro, "You can even be stronger."

"I... Don't know about that..."

"Then let me prove it to you." Chihiro said, "Just like Mando trained me, I'll train you to find that hidden strength inside you."

"...You'd... Really do that?"

"Sure. And don't worry, I won't be as strict as Mando. But I **will** do everything in my power to help you see how strong you can become."

"...Why do you have so much faith in me?" Aiko asked.

"...I guess... It's the same reason Mando had so much faith in me." Chihiro said, "I guess I can see that you're a lot stronger than you realize... And I want to help you see that. But the question is... Will you let me?"

Aiko paused a bit before answering."

"...Alright." Aiko answered, "I'll let you."

"Then from this day on, you're my pupil." Chihiro said, "Whenever we have time, I'll train you to be more confident in yourself, as well as find your strength."

Aiko nodded.

"We're almost at Soter City." said Chihiro, "We'll rest at the Pokemon Center, and then we'll take a look around."

"Okay." Aiko said.

* * *

Meanwhile, back with the other team, Chiaki suggested that everyone took the time to find a new Pokemon. So, the crew split up and looked around. Ryoko decided she would attempt to find a water type, so she tested her Super Rod at the nearby lake.

"...Super Rod, my ass!" she said, "I'm not catching a thing..."

The irritation didn't come from just the lack of Pokemon showing up, but also the fact of what Yasuke told her before.

'Am I... Really unstable?' she thought, 'Is that... Really what Yasuke thinks of me...?'

Ryoko than let out a sigh and buried her face in her knees.

"...Hey, Misses Grumpy Pants." a female voice said.

Ryoko looked up and saw that in the water, a Finneon was sticking her head out.

"...When life gets you down, ya know what ya gotta do?" the Finneon asked.

"Uh..."

" _Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do, we swim, swim...Ho, ho ho ho, ho ho! I love to swimin' When you waaaaaaaant to swim, you got to keep on..._ Wait, why am I singing... Oh, hi! I'm Dory. What's your name? _"_

"Ryoko..."

"Ryoko... That's a nice name."

Suddenly, the Finneon looked worried.

"Wait a second... I was doing something really important, but I can't remember what it was. Hey, Miyako..."

" **Ryoko.** "

"Ryoko, do you know what I was doing?"

"Sorry, I don't." Ryoko answered, "You showed up, started singing, and then worried about something you forgot..."

"Wait, I can sing?"

"Are you forgetful or something?"

"I'm sorry, Totoro..."

"Ryoko."

"Ryoko. You see, I suffer from short-term memory loss."

"Funny. I have full on amnesia."

"Really? So we're both forgetful... No, focus, Dory! You gotta remember what you were doing that was very important... It's at the tip of my tongue... I was... I was..."

And suddenly, a Shadow Gyrados hopped out of the lake and let out a roar.

"Oh, that's right... I WAS SWIMMING AWAY!" Dory exclaimed.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **The Human forms Pokemon go through in the Neo World Program are actually based of of Gijinka (Pokemon drawn as humans) Although I had Welch be the first volunteer because of the character I named her after. (Look up Star Ocean Last Hope Welch, and you'll see why I named an Aipom after her.)  
**

 **Fun fact: I named a Finneon (Pokemon who many people forgot existed) Dory (A character who has short-term memory loss) and had her meet Ryoko (A character who not only has amnesia, but had both short-term AND long-term memory loss in her canon story.) Thought that would be fun to do, and it was... Oh great, now I have an urge to watch Finding Nemo again...**

 **To those who have read this chapter before, and are rereading it, you may notice a crucial difference now. I replaced Mando's Nidoking with a Donphan because I felt it matched him more than the Nidoking (Mando is a biker, after all.) When I realized not giving him a Donphan was a missed opportunity, it continued to bother me until I decided to revamp his team. So let's just pretend he always had a Donphan, okay?  
**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys are still enjoying the series. As you know, we'll have our first wild Shadow Pokemon battle, and if you remember, they're more dangerous than Shadow Pokemon with trainers since they have no one to guide them. What will happen next? If you have any predictions, feel free to share them in your reviews. Until next time, everyone.**


	8. Chapter 8: Pain of Loss

Deep in Team Chaos' Headquarters, the Madarai Brothers stood before a large screen. The image on it was fuzzy, and showed the silhouette of a human. The voice from this individual sounded morphed as well.

"So, you've failed me..." said the individual on the screen.

"Forgive us, Master Phantom." said the leading brother.

"You're asking a lot from me, you know." said Master Phantom, "Before, I could always count on you to get the job done, and now I have to hear that not only did you come back empty handed, but were beaten by newbie trainers? This isn't just a setback; this is an insult!"

The Madarai brothers lowered their heads in shame.

"...However, I understand that Yasuke and Fujisaki helped them out, correct?"

"Y-yes, master." said the leading brother.

"And you said you met a girl with red hair as well..."

"That is correct, master."

"Hmm... Then today, I'll overlook your failure and give you a much stronger team of Shadow Pokemon. And if you ever run into that red headed girl again, I want you to bring her to me."

"Yes, master." said the leading brother, "And thank you for this second chance."

"This new team of Shadow Pokemon I'm bestowing to you are extremely powerful, so you won't have any excuse to lose this time." Master Phantom said, "So understand that if you fail me again, you're all fired."

"Yes, master..."

"And just to be clear, when I say _fired_ , I mean that term both figuratively **and literally!** "

Master Phantom broke contact with the Madarai Brothers soon after. After a short pause, one of the brothers in the back started to wine like a puppy.

"Pull yourself together." said the leading brother, "We won't fail again. With this new team of Shadow Pokemon, we will be unstoppable."

* * *

"Rock Slide, Zeroken!" Hajime said.

The Lycanrok shot many large boulders at a wild Starly. After making a direct hit, the bird Pokemon fell to the ground.

"Alright, I give!" the Starly said, waving a wing, "You win. I'll gladly join your team. Now, make it official."

Hajime nodded and threw a Poke-Ball at the Starly. After shaking three times, the Poke-Ball clicked, confirming the capture. Hajime then picked up the Poke-Ball and let the Starly out.

"Welcome to the team, Zaveid." Hajime said.

"Thanks." said the Starly, "I've got a feeling sticking with you will be a good time."

Soon enough, Chiaki headed Hajime's way. For some reason, she was holding out her Poke-Dex.

"I see you caught a Starly." she said, "A Flying Type will be quite useful."

"Yeah..." said Hajime, "Plus, Starly evolve into one of the strongest Flying Types ever."

"You flatter me, Hajime." said Zaveid.

"So, did you catch a new Pokemon yet?" Hajime asked.

"Not yet." Chiaki said, "I decided I'd give the Poke-Finder a try. Apparently, Alter Ego detected a rare Pokemon around here."

"Alter Ego?" Hajime repeated.

"It's the AI programmed in the Poke-Dex." Chiaki said, "They look just like Chihiro."

An image of Chihiro's head soon projected from the screen of Chiaki's Poke-Dex.

"Keep going straight." the projection said.

"That must be Alter Ego." said Hajime.

"Mmm Hmm." said Chiaki, "I'll have to keep going if I want to find this Pokemon. You should try using your Poke-Finder once in awhile. It may not always detect a rare Pokemon, but when it does, it'll be worth it... I think."

Chiaki then proceeded forward.

"So, that's your girl, huh?" said Zaveid, "Not bad, you lucky dog."

"It's not **like that!** " Hajime said, "She's my childhood friend, and nothing more."

"Aw, what a shame..." said the Starly.

"Give it some time, Zaveid." said Zeroken, "I'm sure they'll be an item eventually."

"Not you too, Zero!" said Hajime.

Zero's ears twitched all of a sudden, as he looked at his trainer.

"Ryoko's introuble." he said in a serious tone.

* * *

Ryoko tried to have Ryuk put the Shadow Gyarados to sleep, but the Hypnosis failed, and the Gangar was taken out by a Shadow Crunch.

"Wow." said Dory the Finneon, "Undine is really upset right now. If only I could remember why... I remember saying hi to her, and she then she went _Roar_ , and I was like _Ahhh..._ Or was **she** the one who went _Ahhh_ , and **I** was the one who went _Roar?_ "

"Dory, I'm having trouble concentrating here!" Ryoko said.

"Oh... Sorry, Miyamoto."

"Ryoko!"

"Ryoko."

The red head sent out her Espeon, Kyube, to battle next.

"Use Psychic!" said Ryoko.

"You got it!" said Dory, "...Wait, I know _Psychic_?"

"Not you, Dory! I was talking to Kyube!"

"Oh... Gotcha, Nemo."

"It's Ryo... Oh, forget it!"

" **Way** ahead of ya!" said Dory.

Kyube let out a sigh before he shot a Psychic blast. The Shadow Gyarados took it like it was nothing.

"Damn it!" said Ryoko, "I wish I had an electric type! Where's Chiaki when you need her!"

"Chiaki...?" said Dory, "...That's a nice name."

Ryoko switched out Kyube for Loki.

"Aw, nice! Some action!" said the Zoroark.

"Use Foul Play!" said Ryoko.

"One of my personal favorites!" said Loki, as he covered himself in darkness and rammed into the Shadow Gyarados.

The Shadow Pokemon let out a mighty roar and countered with a Shadow Torrent attack, sending Loki flying.

"Undine, calm down!" Dory said, "Remember that whenever you're upset, just keep swimming..."

The Shadow Gyarados hit Dory with a Shadow Torrent as well.

"Well, that's just rude..." said the Finneon.

Undine was charging up a Shadow Cannon attack, when sharp shadowy rocks hit the Gyarados. Seeing this, Ryoko turned around to see a Shadow Onix, and beside him was Hajime.

"When did you get here?" Ryoko said.

"When Zeroken heard you battling, he warned me." Hajime said, "Halfway here, I noticed it was a Shadow Pokemon, and decided to fight fire with fire."

The Shadow Gyarados let out a roar, to which the Shadow Onix roared back. Then for some reason, Dory tried to roar as well, causing all eyes on her.

"...Sorry." Dory said, "I thought we were all roaring together."

After a sigh, Ryoko looked at Hajime.

"Where's Chiaki?" she asked.

"She's looking for a rare Pokemon she detected on her Poke-Finder." Hajime answered,

"Huh... I forgot our Poke-Dex' had that." Ryoko said, "Oh, well. Let's hope the two of us will be enough."

The two Shadow Pokemon clashed with each other, taking turns knocking each other down. They would have been equally matched if it weren't for one thing. After Undine shot the Shadow Onix with a Shadow Torrent, it was defeated instantly.

"Of course, your Shadow Pokemon had to be one with a four times weakness to water..." Ryoko said.

"At least he wore the Gyarados down." said Hajime, before switching Onix out for Juto.

"It would seem I'll have to fight a Shadow Pokemon for the first time." Juto said, "I'll have to give it my all."

"Hey, Loki." Ryoko said, "Can you still fight?"

"Yeah." said the Zoroark, "I'm good."

The Shadow Gyarados was about to fire another Shadow Cannon.

"Now's your chance, Loki!" said Ryoko, "Sucker Punch!"

Loki attacked Undine with a light speed punch before she could finish her attack.

"Leaf Blade, Juto!" said Hajime.

"Very well." said the Grovile, as he used the sharp leaves on his arm to cut the Gyarados.

The Shadow Pokemon shook it off like it was nothing.

"Damn, this thing's tough..." Hajime said.

"We don't need to defeat her..." said Ryoko, "We just have to capture her."

"That may be true..." said Hajime, "But if we can't even weaken her first, then catching her will be difficult."

"Difficult... But notimpossible." said Ryoko.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chiaki continued to look for the rare Pokemon using her Poke-Finder. She also had Link and Yoshimitsu out to bond with one another.

"I see great potential in the, Silent Warrior." the Nuzleaf said.

Link tilted his head upon hearing that.

"It's true. Thou art hiding great power, which will reveal thyself once thou evolves."

Link looked really excited, and began to wag his tail.

"That is why it is important to really think about what evolution thou want. What thou choses will determine how thy power will manifest."

The Eevee pondered over this.

"Fret not, Silent Warrior. Thou does not need to decide right away."

"Hey, guys!" Chiaki said, "I think we found it!"

Right on cue, Alter Ego's head appeared on the Pokedex.

"Pokemon Spotted." they said, "Now scanning... Scanning... Scanning... Scan complete. Ralts discovered."

Chiaki looked forward to see a Ralts sleeping under a tree.

"Oh ho! A Ralts!" Yoshimitsu said, "A Psychic Type would be very useful on thy team, my lady."

"Does this mean I'll be able to get a Gallade myself...?" Chiaki asked aloud.

"Negative." said Alter Ego, "This Ralts is Female."

"I see..." said Chiaki, "...Oh well. A Gardivoir's a nice Pokemon to have, too."

"My lady..." said Yoshimitsu, "Since she's asleep, she'll be very easy to catch."

"That may be true..." said Chiaki, "But that would also be kind of rude. Plus, if she were to wake up and realize she was in a stranger's Poke-Ball, I don't think she'd appreciate that."

"So thou chooses to give her a... How does thou say... _Heads up_ first?"

"Yeah. That's the least I can do." Chiaki answered.

As if sensing what Chiaki was thinking, Link walked towards the Ralts and nudged her a bit. Upon doing so, the Ralts let out a small yawn and rubbed her eyes before facing the Eevee.

"Oh... Good morning..." she said.

The Eevee just wagged his tail.

"Hello there." Chaiki said, as she approached the Ralts, "We noticed you were sleeping here, and wanted to know if you were willing to join our team?"

"Is that so...?" said the Ralts, "Well, to be honest, I'm not that strong a Pokemon."

"Nonsense!" said Yoshimitsu, "Thou has the potential to become an incredibly powerful Pokemon. All thy needs is some training."

"You... Really think I can become stronger?" the Ralts asked.

"I don't **think** , I **know**." Yoshimitsu said, "And with a trainer like Lady Chiaki, thou would evolve into a Gardivoir in no time."

"That... Does sounds nice..." said the Ralts, "But training sounds scary..."

"It's not as bad as you think." Chiaki said, "Especially when you're doing it with friends."

"Well..." the Ralts pondered a little, "...I **would** like to make some friends... Okay, I'll join you."

"Thank you." said Chiaki, "What's your name, by the way."

"Nia." said the Ralts, "My name's Nia."

"I'm Chiaki. The Nuzleaf here is Yoshimitsu, and the Eevee here is Link. I hope we can all get along."

The Ralts nodded.

"Now then..." said Yoshimitsu, "It would seem that in order to put her in thy party, thou must withdraw another member."

"That's no problem." said Alter Ego, "The Poke-Gear you have is connected to your PC account. As long as you're not battling, you can change your party whenever you want."

"Still, who to send back is a little difficult." said Chiaki, "Other than Kilia, I've gotten everyone fairly recently."

"Tis true." said Yoshimitsu, "And Killia's ability to sense Aura makes him too valuable to withdraw. He'll be needed to sense Shadow Pokemon if they were to arise."

On cue, Coden came out of his Poke-Ball.

"I'll volunteer." he said. "I'll go to the Neo World Program and let you train Nia."

"Thank you, Coden." said Chiaki, "That's very nice of you."

"Might I also suggest..." Alter Ego said, "...That you make Custom Parties?"

"Custom Parties?" Chiaki repeated.

"Yes. Whenever you need a specific group of Pokemon on your side, you can add them to a Custom Party Slot, and call for that team with just a press of a button. Of course, this only works outside of battles."

"I think I understand." said Chiaki, "I'll be sure to do that when I've caught more Pokemon."

"Very well." Alter Ego said, before deactivating.

"I'll say hi to Welch to I get there." Coden said.

"Tell her everyone else says hi too, okay?" Chiaki said.

Coden nodded. Chiaki then put her Luxio back in his Poke-Ball and sent him to the Neo World Program.

"Now, I do believe it's time to make it official." Yoshimitsu said.

"Right." said Chiaki, as she pulled out a Poke-Ball.

"Uh... Wait..." said Nia, "Let me get ready first."

The Ralts dusted herself off, and stretched her tiny arms a bit.

"...Okay. I'm ready."

Chiaki threw the Poke-Ball, and Nia was caught. Chiaki let her back out soon after.

"Welcome to the team, Nia." she said.

"I'm glad to be..." Nia suddenly stopped and let out a gasp.

"What's wrong?" Chiaki asked.

"I feel... Distress nearby..." Nia answered.

"Yes, that's right..." said Yoshimitsu, "The Gardivoir line are able to sense emotions with their psychic powers."

"I feel... Like there's some sort of conflict... And that someone is full of senseless rage..."

" _Senseless rage...?_ " Chiaki repeated, "It could be a Shadow Pokemon!"

"Then we must make haste, my lady!" Yoshimitsu said, "Sir Hajime and Lady Ryoko may be in trouble!"

"I can teleport you to where I'm detecting the distress." said Nia.

Using her powers, the Ralts teleported everyone to the location.

* * *

"Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming..."

"Dory, that's very distracting!" Ryoko said.

"I'm sorry! I'm very nervous right now!" said the Finneon, "If only I could remember why I was nervous..."

"Shadow Gyarados!" said Ryoko, "Right in front of you!"

"Shadow Gyarados?! Where...?! Oh, hi Undine. Have you seen a Shadow Gyarados anywhere?"

"Oh my f***ing god..." Ryoko moaned.

Nearby, Chiaki and her Pokemon appeared.

"Oh, thank Arceus!" said Ryouko, "Chiaki, could you give us a hand? Send out your Luxio and shock this thing."

"Okay!" said Chiaki, as she tried to switch Coden back, only to see that her PC function was locked, "Oh... Guess I'm already in the battle. I can't get Coden out from the PC."

"Fan- **f***ing** -tastic!" said Ryoko.

"Fear not, my comrades!" said Yoshimitsu, "With our powers combined, we can take down this Shadow Pokemon!"

The Nuzleaf pulled out his Leaf Blade and attack the Shadow Gyarados.

"I'll help you!" said Juto, as he too used Leaf Blade to attack.

Despite the Shadow Pokemon's Flying Typing to help resist the Grass Type move, the combined power of two Leaf Blade attacks proved to be devastating.

"Keep attacking!" Yoshimitsu said, "Weaken her until she can't fight anymore!"

"Loki, help them out!" said Ryoko.

"On it!" said the Zoroark, as he attack with Foul Play.

"Dory, if you have any attack moves, than use it on Undying... Or whatever her name is!"

"Alright, Yamoto." said Dory, as she shot a Water Pulse attack at the Shadow Gyarados, "Sorry! This hurts me more than it'll hurt you!"

Undine seemed very overwhelmed by the multiple attacks striking her at once. She continued to let out roars as the attacks continued.

"I do believe it's working!" said Yoshimitsu.

"Just to be sure..." said Chiaki, "Link, Nia, lend them a hand.

The Eevee nodded, while the Ralts gave her an "Okay." Link attacked with by biting, while Nia used Magical Leaf.

"Come on, everyone!" Yoshimitsu said, "Victory is within our grasp!"

As if on cue, the Shadow Gyarados let out a mighty raw which sent out a large shockwave, pushing back the opposing Pokemon. The dark aura surrounding her began to get larger, and her disposition seemed to have gotten nastier.

"This looks bad..." said Juto, "What is she doing?"

"She's going to do something reckless..." said Dory, "If I remember correctly, Undine hates to lose. Whenever she believes she's in danger of losing, she takes some sort of drastic measure... I just don't remember what it is..."

Ice began to form in Undine's mouth. The air began to feel colder as this occurred.

"Is that some kind of Ice Beam or something?" Loki asked.

"No..." said Nia, "This attack feels more similar to... Sheer Cold."

"Sheer Cold?!" Ryoko repeated, "That's a forbidden move! Despite it's low accuracy, it's known to be fatal on anyone it successfully hits!"

"Can Gyarados even learn that move?" Hajime asked.

"Maybe not a normal Gyarados..." said Ryoko, "But this is a Shadow Gyarados. All their moves are replaced with Shadow Moves. Having a move similar to Sheer Cold isn't out of the question."

"We can't let that attack hit anyone!" Chiaki said, "We need to stop it!"

The Pokemon continued to attack, but Undine continued to charge her attack.

"She won't let up!" said Loki, "We may need to shatter the ice!"

The Zoroark shot a Flamethrower at the Shadow Gyarados' face, hoping to melt the ice. No luck, though. It was still coming.

"Damn it!" Loki said, "What are we going to do?!"

"I have a plan." said Yoshimitsu, "Sheer Cold can only hit one target, and it's accuracy is pitifully low. If I can get Undine's attention, she'll fire it at me. That's when I shall dodge it, and counter attack with my trusty Leaf Blade!"

"That's too dangerous!" said Chiaki, "If it hits you..."

"I'm quite aware of the risk, my lady." said the Nuzleaf, "Especially since Ice Type moves are one of my many weaknesses. But by doing this, we can have more control over our odds. Plus, I have confidence in my abilities. I pray thou would do the same."

Chiaki looked at her determined Pokemon and nodded.

"Okay." Chiaki said, "I believe in you."

Yoshimitsu gave his trainer a thumbs up, and rushed towards the Shadow Gyarados.

"I shall be thy target, sea dragon!" he shouted.

Undines eyes were glued to Yoshimitsu now. It was clear she knew who to aim at. Yoshimitsu took that time to get his Leaf Blade out, and posed as if he were about to strike. While this happened, Chiaki couldn't help but be anxious. If things go wrong, Yoshimitsu could very well lose his life. The attack was finally complete, and Undine shot a Shadow Frostbite at the Nuzleaf at high speed. Yoshimitsu just stood there as if he were about to take it.

"What are you doing?!" Chiaki shouted, "Dodge it already!"

The attack came closer and closer until... _Crash!_ Shadow Frostbite made impact. The area Yoshimitsu stood was covered in ice for a bit, but then sinked into the ground. Yoshimitsu was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he...?!" Chiaki panicked, "Where'd he go...?!"

"Chiaki..." Nia said, "Look in the sky."

She did what she was told, and saw a familiar sight. There was her Nuzleaf, using his Leaf Blade as a helicopter.

"Thou hast missed Yoshimitsu!" he said, as he ceased the helicopter, and used the blade to give the Gyarados one last slash.

Undine let out a cry before falling to the ground.

"He did it..." Loki said.

The Nuzleaf landed and pointed his Leaf Blade at the fallen Gyarados.

"Undine, I have bested thee..."

 _Shank!_ Out of nowhere, spears of ice emerged from the ground which Yoshimitsu stood, impaling the unsuspecting Nuzleaf. Everyone just watched in shock, processing what they just witnessed.

"...YOSHIMITSU!" Chiaki cried.

The ice shattered, but the wounds they left remained on the Nuzleaf.

"So..." Yoshimitsu said, "...Thou hast bested me as well."

After those words, the Nuzleaf dropped his Leaf Blade and fell to the ground. Chiaki was quick to rush at his side.

"Yoshimits... Ah!"

Chiaki tried to touch him, but retracted her hand. His body was far too cold to touch.

"M-my lady..." Yoshimitsu said, "For...give... Me... My pride... led to... My demise..."

"Don't speak..." Chiaki said, "You're going to... Be alright... I just need to warm you up, and then we'll take you to Poke-Center."

Chiaki let out Vixen, and had her use a Flame Burst near him in order to warm up his body. It wasn't making any progress, though. Chiaki still couldn't touch him.

"My time... Runs short, my lady..." Yoshimitsu said weakly, "By the time the flames take effect, my soul will have already depart... Please... Hear my words..."

The Nuzleaf was shivering due to the cold. He raised a hand towards his trainer as tears ran from his eyes.

"Although... My time with thee... Was short... I could not ask... For a better trainer... You are both strong... And kind... And you allowed me to be surrounded by friends... By Sir Coden... Lady Vixen... Sir Killi..."

The Nuzleaf coughed, but held on to his life in order to continue.

"It...Goes without saying... I do not want to leave this world... Not when I've made comrades like all of thee... But I'd rather die now... Than live one million years without ever meeting thee... Please... Take my Leaf Blade... Don't let my legacy be forgotten... That's my... Last... Selfish... Wish..."

The shivering stopped. Yoshimitsu's hand fell to the floor. That same expression of regret was still painted on his face, but the little bit of life in his eyes had faded away. Yoshimitsu... Was no more.

Chiaki just stared at the corpse of her Pokemon with a face full of shock, disbelief, and despair. She didn't move a single musle. It was as if she was frozen. Her mind wandered as she thought back to the time she first became a trainer; How she knew what she'd get herself into when she signed up for this... How she knew that the path would be dangerous, and she could have very well lost a Pokemon on her journey. She truly thought she'd be prepared for this... But now that it actually happened... Now that one of her own Pokemon was killed right in front of her eyes... It was clear how wrong she was.

"Chiaki..." Hajime said, as he walked towards her.

She didn't respond. She just remained on her knees and continued to stare at the remains of Yoshimitsu. Hajime crouched down to her level.

"Chiaki..." he said again, as he was about to put a hand on her shoulder.

Then, without warning, Chiaki grabbed Hajime, stuffed her face in his chest, and began wailing in tears. He was taken aback at first, but Hajime soon embraced her back, hoping to comfort her, if just a little bit. It was all he could do right now. It seemed he wasn't alone, though. Coming to her side to help comfort her as well was Vixen, Link, and Nia.

* * *

Ryoko didn't say anything. She had no idea what to say or what to do in this situation. Fortunately, it looked like Hajime got this covered. So Ryoko approached the fainted Gyarados, captured her with a Despair Ball, and sent it to the Neo World Program.

"You think she'll hate her now?" Dory suddenly asked.

"What?" said Ryoko.

"The pink haired girl with the Snorlax hoodie. Will she hate Undine for this?"

"I don't know." the red head said, "I don't really know her all that well, to be honest. But if it were me... Yeah. I'd probably hate her for it."

"I see..." the Finneon said, as she lowered her head.

"What are you so worried about?" said Ryoko, "You're probably just going to forget about all this, anyway."

"Maybe... I'll forget a few details... But there's some things even I can't forget... Like the feeling of losing someone. I know it's quite painful... And it can fill someone with a lot of negative emotions, like despair and hate. I can't remember why Undine got so angry, but I do remember that even though she has a short temper, she's actually a really nice Gyarados when you get to know her... And I know she's going to feel really bad about this..."

Ryoko looked away from the Finneon, pondering over what she just said.

"...Hey, Ochacho." said Dory, "Will you guys really be able to help Undine?"

"How do you know we can even help her?" Ryoko asked.

"Just a hunch." said the Finneon.

"...Yeah. I think we can."

"That's good." said Dory, "If you don't mind... I'd like to be there for her."

"...Alright." said Ryoko.

The red head got out a Poke-Ball and capture the Finneon, sending her to the Neo World Program as well. She then let out a sigh before approaching Hajime and Chiaki.

"...The next town's not too far from here." she said, "Why don't we rest there. It'll be night time pretty soon, anyway."

Chiaki's crying quieted down a little, but it was clear she was still in distress.

"Chiaki..." Hajime said.

No reply. She just looked at Hajime. Tears were still running down her face.

"...I think Ryoko's right." Hajime said, "We should get going..."

"We can't..." Chiaki said, "We can't leave him like this..."

Hajime looked at the Nuzleaf.

"...You're right." Hajime said, before looking at Ryoko, "Hey... Do you think you can lend us a hand?"

"...Sure." she said, "It's the least I can do."

* * *

Although Yoshimitsu's body was still as cold as the Arctic, Nia and Kyube's combined telekinesis was able to carry it with very little difficulty. Zeroken helped by digging a hole for the grave, and creating the Memorial Stone.

 _Here lies Yoshimitsu the Nuzleaf_

 _A great warrior, and great friend_

 _May your legacy be remembered forever_

In Chiaki's hands was the Leaf Blade Yoshimitsu left behind. She gripped it tightly as the tears continued to run down her face... As the pain in her heart continued to torture her... As the despair began to invade her mind.

"...Chiaki?" Hajime said.

Instead of a reply, Chiaki just walked away.

* * *

Upon arriving to Horkos Town's Poke-Center, Hajime contacted Chihiro on his Poke-Gear to update him on what happened.

"...I'm sorry." said Chihiro on the other end, "How's she doing?"

"Not too good, I'm afraid." said Hajime, "She's hardly speaking."

"I think she's still processing all this." Chihiro said, "This her first time losing a Pokemon, after all. Most people wouldn't be able to get over it right away."

Hajime let out a sigh.

"If only I were stronger..." he said, "Maybe I could have prevented this."

"Even the strongest trainers lose Pokemon, Hajime." said Chihiro, "Don't blame yourself. What happened isn't your fault, nor is it Chiaki's."

"Try telling her that." said Hajime, "I'm sure she's blaming herself as we speak."

"Probably..." said Chihiro, "That's why I want you and Ryoko to stay in Horkos Town until she recovers from this. With her mind disorientated from all this, it'll be dangerous for her to face another Shadow Pokemon. It may be her own life she'll lose."

"I won't let that happen...!" Hajime said.

"Then make sure she's fully recovered before leaving town, okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Keep me updated on how Chiaki's doing. I'm worried about her, too."

"I will..."

"Thank you. I'll let you go for now."

"Alright. Talk to you later."

Hajime hung up and approached the room Chiaki was staying in. Near the door was Ryoko.

"She's still not talking much." she said, "...So, what did Chihiro say?"

"He said we should stay here until she recovers." said Hajime.

"How long do you think that'll take?" the red head asked.

"I don't know..." Hajime answered.

Ryoko let out a sigh as she leaned on the wall.

"What are we supposed to do while we wait?"

"I planned on sticking around, in case she needs someone to talk to."

"It's probably going to take some time before she ever comes out."

"I'll wait as long as I have to." Hajime said, "So long as I can be there for her."

Ryoko stared at Hajime for a bit before giving him a sly smile.

"You've got a thing for her, don't you?" she asked.

"She's my best friend." said Hajime, "Isn't natural to help those you care about?"

"So you admit to caring about her?"

"Of course. What kind of person wouldn't care about their friend?"

Either everything was going over Hajime's head, or he was too concerned for Chiaki to even care that he's being teased. Realizing this wouldn't go anywhere, Ryoko sighed and gave up.

"Alright, alright. I'll drop it." she said, "Whether she's just friend or if she's more than that, it doesn't change the fact that you're worried about her and want to help her."

"I'm glad you understand." said Hajime, "Now, what were you planning to do?"

"No clue." said Ryoko, "This town doesn't have a gym or anything."

"Well, whatever you do, stay close." Hajime said, "I don't really understand why, but I guess we have the responsibility to watch over you or something."

"You don't have to listen to Yasuke, you know." said the red head, "I don't need any babysitters. I can take care of myself..."

"I guess you're right when you say I don't **have** to listen to him... But something he said concerned me... About you being unsta..."

"Don't say it...!" Ryoko snapped as she glared at Hajime.

"S-sorry..." Hajime said.

Ryoko looked away, still having a peeved expression.

"So you're worried I'm going to cause trouble for you?"

"...Not really." Hajime said, "I'm just... Worried about a friend, I guess."

"Friend...?" Ryoko said, "You mean me? When did that happen?"

"When you came traveling with us." said Hajime.

"Just like that? We don't really know each other that well to be friends, you know. How do you even know I'm someone worth being worried about?"

"Well... Chiaki seems to trust you. So I'll do the same. Besides, you've already shown me that you really care for your Pokemon, and they seem to care about you, too. Someone who has a bond like that can't be a bad person, I don't think."

Ryoko found herself speechless again. She had to really think before she could respond again.

"...I have amnesia, you know. I have no idea who I was before I lost my memories. So tell me... If you were to find out that I was an awful person before now... That I've done many horrible things back then... That I was a criminal, a murderer... Or anything of that sort... What would you think? What would you do?"

"Someone once told me that it doesn't matter who someone was in the past; It's who they are now... And who they choose to be in the future that matters."

"...Who told you that?"

"She's in the room behind you."

Ryoko turned her head to look at the door behind her.

"That girl in there... Was always there for me whenever I was down." Hajime said, "She would always give me hope and encoragement whenever I was at my lowest... She refused to let me give up... So I plan to return the favor. I'm going to be there for her, and I'm no going to let her give up on herself."

Ryoko looked at the ground, and then back at Hajime.

"Well... After what just happened to her... She'll need all the support she can get. So I guess... I'll be there for her, too. I don't know too much about cheering people up, but I'll do whatever I can."

"Thank you." Hajime said.

"Don't mention it..." said Ryoko, "So... When do you think we should check up on her?"

"Good question..." said Hajime, "Maybe we should give her at least ten minutes or so."

"Ten minutes of sitting here doing absolutely nothing... Yippee."

"You said you wanted to be here for her, too."

"Doesn't mean I'll enjoy waiting. I get bored easily."

Hajime pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Ryoko.

"This might help." he said.

Now in the red head's hands was a GameGirl Advance. Inside was the special edition of Gala-Omega.

"Chiaki and I played that together all the time when we were kids." Hajime said, "It's a classic. I'm sure it'll keep you occupied."

Ryoko turned on the power and started playing. From the looks of it, she was already hooked.

 _I just hope I'll get that back at some point..._ Hajime thought to himself.

* * *

"TRANSFER COMPLETE." the PC said, as Coden returned to the team.

"I can't wait to have hands..." Vixen said, while watching Killia use the PC.

"I shouldn't have left..." Coden said, "If I were there, Yoshimitsu would probably be alive right now..."

"Hey! Chiaki's already blaming herself for this!" said Vixen, "We don't need you doing the same."

"Vixen's right." said Killia, "Blaming ourselves will not bring Yoshimitsu back. And I'm sure he'd want us to move on..."

"I know, master..." said Coden.

"How's Chiaki, by the way?" asked Welch from the PC screen.

"Hasn't said a word." said Vixen, "So it's safe to assume she's still upset."

"She is..." said Nia, "Chiaki's perspective has completely shifted. She's in a limbo of despair and doubt..."

"Really?" said Welch, "I mean, I'm sad we lost a friend, too, but falling into despair? Having doubt? She was such a confident trainer."

"Yes... She was." said Killia, "But that's why she in despair in the first place. The truth is... I think she was a little **too** confident."

"Too confident?" Coden repeated.

"When I was still a Riolu, and she was ten years old, Chiaki told me that she would do everything in her power to make sure none of her Pokemon would be killed. That she'd do everything to keep them safe, and to make them strong enough to defend them from any Shadow Pokemon. Upon training me and evolving me into a Lucario, I fear I may have boosted her ego a bit. I continued to get stronger and stronger, to the point that no one in her town could beat her. Her winning streak made her believe that she was indeed capable of keeping all of the Pokemon she caught from dying..."

"She really believed... That not a single one of her Pokemon would die?" Vixen asked.

Killia nodded.

Vixen puffed her cheeks and started marching towards the other side of the room.

"Where are you going?" Coden asked.

"I'm going to give our trainer a stern talking to!" said the Fennekin.

* * *

When Vixen saw Chiaki sitting on her bed and looking at the ground, she could hardly recognize her. That trainer who had so much faith in her teammates and in herself didn't seem to be the person before her. The pink haired girl was quietly mumbling, but thanks to her big ears, Vixen was able to make out what she was saying.

"...Who's next...? Who's going to die next...? I can't... I just cant..."

The Fennekin jumped on the bed and sat next to her trainer.

"Chiaki..." Vixen said, "I know your sad and all... But you need to get a grip."

Chiaki's eyes shifted at Vixen for a brief second before looking back at the floor.

"Do you really think you're the only person who's lost a Pokemon?" Vixen said, "Or lost **anyone** for that matter?"

Chiaki still made no reply.

"...Fine. You don't need to talk," said the Fennekin, "But I **do** need you to listen."

Vixen took a deep breath before continuing.

"...Before I was a Starter Pokemon in Prof. Fujisaki's lab, I was a spoiled brat who hated humans. I blamed them for all the evil in the world, and all the abuse Pokemon went through. I use to trust no one and only think about myself. I manipulated others to get my way. I didn't care about anyone... Until I met her."

Chiaki's eyes shifted towards Vixen. This time they didn't shift back towards the floor again. This was a sign that she was indeed listening.

"There was this Absol named Korra who was like a mentor to me. She taught me that there was more to the world than I realized, and that a bond between a Pokemon and trainer was a powerful thing. But more importantly, she taught me that the world isn't all black and white... That there's really no such thing as true evil... And that sometimes... Those people we think are pure evil... Could actually just be lonely people who needs a friend. I guess that might have been what she saw in me... A lonely individual who needed a friend."

Chiaki, although still silent, looked as though she was more engrossed in the story. Vixen continued.

"Before meeting Korra, I was blind to people's nature, both human and Pokemon. I once believed that it was pointless to get close with people because finding a good person was near impossible. That by default, we're all selfish individuals who think of our own survival above all else, and we use others in order to get ahead in life. With this way of thinking, I used my cute looks and silver tough to manipulate others for the sake of my own survival. But it was Korra who taught me that despite the fact that people are naturally selfish, they're also naturally compassionate. Deep down, every single person has a desire to be kind to others, and that sometimes showing a so-called evil person a little kindness could come a long way. She taught me that there are indeed good people in the world... And if you can't **find** a good person... Then just **be** a good person."

Chiaki looked at the floor again, most likely to ponder over what Vixen was saying. Her gaze returned to the Fennekin moments later.

"I know you're probably wondering what this has to do with Yoshimitsu's death, right? Well, I'm more concerned about the fact that his death makes you want to give up... That one slip up make you want to quit... But most of all... That you think being prepared doesn't mean that things won't go wrong... Because like it or not, they will. But that's life. Things don't always go our way, but that's no excuse to give up. We're not suppose to give up because of our mistakes; We're suppose to **learn** from them. I'm sad about Yoshimitsu's death, too. Truly, I am. But I don't let someone's death bring me down. You want to know why?"

As Vixen expected, no answer. Not even a nod. However, she was able to see the curiosity in Chiaki's eyes.

"It's because... Yoshimitsu's still with us. Our memories of him will still live on. And believe me, Yoshimitsu wouldn't want you to give up on yourself. He'd want you to keep going... To be the best trainer you can be... And to honor his legacy."

Chiaki let out a small gasp.

"You remember, right?" said Vixen, "That was his dying wish. If you give up on yourself and refuse to move on, then this will insult his legacy."

Vixen took the Leaf Blade nearby and set it on Chiaki's lap.

"You see this?" Vixen said, "That's Yoshimitsu right there. As long as we have that, and as long as we remember him, Yoshimitsu will never leave us."

Chiaki's eyes watered as she looked at the Leaf Blade. She then looked at Vixen.

"I'm sorry..." she said.

"It's okay, Chiaki..." said Vixen, "It's alright to be sad over losing someone. I... Actually lost Korra some time ago... But we can't let it stop us from living your own life. Don't forget that we **all** signed up for this, too. We all know the dangers of walking in this path. We all know that we can all get killed if something goes wrong... I am afraid to die... I'm uncertain whether or not death has an afterlife, or if it's an absolute end... But what I fear more than death... Is to be alone again. I don't want to be alone anymore... You don't know how happy it made me when I came out of my Poke-Ball and saw your face... That feeling of knowing that I finally had a new trainer... And a new friend."

"...Really?" Chiaki asked.

"Really." Vixen answered, "That's why I'm asking you to not let this outcome stop you continuing your journey. I want to continue to travel with you and all the new Pokemon you catch. I know that you're thinking of putting an end to your journey because you're afraid to see another one of your teammates die right? Well, that would be unfair to us. We want to continue this journey with you. Give up on the journey, and you'll take that away from us."

"But... Do you really want to travel with me... Knowing that you could get killed at any moment?" Chiaki asked.

"Don't you think we'd have already left if we didn't?" Vixen asked, "We all chose to follow you. We weren't forced into this. We're all with you because we want to be."

Chiaki petted the Fennekin on the head.

"...Thank you, Vixen." Chiaki said, "I knew I picked the right choice when I picked you."

"I'm curious, though." said Vixen, "Why did you pick me out of all the starters?"

"...You remember the Vulpix my mother owned?"

"The one who died from an illness, and was the owner of this scarf? Yeah, I remember."

"The truth is... That Vulpix was mother's first Pokemon. She was given an egg before her tenth birthday, which hatched into the Vulpix, which she named Pyrrha. Some time after that, it was discovered that Pyrrha had a rare and incurable disease, and didn't have long to live. Despite that, she was cheerful and happy. Mother told me that even though her life was short, Pyrrha was happy to be living at all, and that she had her as a trainer. She said she'd make the most of the life she has. Eventually, mother made the black scarf for Pyrrha, as a symbol of their treasured friendship. But of course... A few days later..."

"She died?" Vixen asked.

Chiaki nodded.

"When mother gave me the scarf and told me the story of Pyrrha, I knew I wanted to catch a Fire Type one day. But then I was given the opportunity to choose a Starter Pokemon before leaving for my journey, and saw a fire fox as an option. I knew then and there you were the choice for me."

"...But why'd you wait so long to give me the scarf?" Vixen asked.

"Because... I was a little scared at first." said Chiaki, "I wanted to make sure you truly accepted me as a trainer... And possibly as a friend. I wanted us to have the kind of bond that mother and Pyrrha had."

"You... Have more anxiety than you let on... Don't you?"

"Well... My father always taught me to keep going, even if you feel fear. So anytime I feel nervous, I always tell myself... That if you just do it, it will all work out."

"That's a positive motto, Chiaki." Vixen said, "But unfortunately, it's also unrealistic. Things won't always go our way, even if we do everything we can to make them go how want them to. But then, if they did, we couldn't learn, could we?"

"I guess not." said Chiaki.

"Did your mother give up on being a trainer when Pyrrha died?" Vixen asked.

"No..." said Chiaki, "She kept on going. And she became a great trainer before she retired."

"Then follow your mother's example. Keep moving forward. And remember that you're not alone."

"...Okay." Chiaki said, "I'll try."

"...Is it safe to come in now?"

Chiaki and Vixen noticed Coden and the other Pokemon nearby.

"...Come here, everyone." she said.

The others were quick to comply. Coden stood near the bed for Chiaki to pet him, Link jumped on the bed to wait his turn, Nia got some help from Killia to get on the bed so she could give her trainer a small hug, and even Lisette seemed to want to comfort Chiaki, despite being a Shadow Pokemon. Chiaki was a little surprised at this, but also had a bit of an understanding of why she was doing this.

"You, Vixen, and Coden lost someone, too..." Chiaki said, as she petted Lisette on the head, "I guess I was being selfish. You guys were able to keep going when you lost them, and I need to do the same. Could you... Ever forgive me for acting so immature?"

"No trainer is perfect, Chiaki." said Killia, "And some people need more time to recover before they can move on. We'd be the immature ones if we held a grudge for something like this."

"Thank you..." said Chiaki, "But with that said, I want you all to be honest with me. If any of you would prefer not to travel with me, and are afraid to get yourselves killed, than let me know. I'll either have you stay in the Neo World Program... Or if you really want to, I'll even release you. I don't want to force any of you to join me if you really don't want to."

"You don't think I'd leave you after how long we've been together, do you?" Killia said.

"I'm staying." said Coden, "I'll travel with you where ever you go."

"You already got my answer." said Vixen.

"I want to stay, too." said Nia, "You all seem like wonderful friends. Plus, I did say I wanted to become stronger."

Link nodded and wagged his tail. Lisette just looked at Chiaki, before bopping her nose on her hand.

"I feel determination in the Popplio's responce." said Nia, "I believe she wants to stay as well."

"Alright... Thank you, everyone." Chiaki said, "Now, we better get some rest so we can continue our journey tomorrow."

"Before you go to sleep, I suggest you let Hajime and Ryoko know how you're doing." Killia said, "They're worried about you, too."

"You're right." said Chiaki, "I'll do that right now."

* * *

This seemed like the right time now. Hajime was about to knock on the door, only for it to open, startling both him and Chiaki, who had opened it.

"I was... Just about to knock..." Hajime said awkwardly.

"I see..." Chiaki said, "...Have you been waiting for me all this time?"

"Ye-yeah..." said Hajime, "I wanted to make sure you were alright... And if you were down..."

"I'm sorry for worrying you..." Chiaki said, "I'm a little better now. Vixen and the others talked some sense into me. We can still continue our journey tomorrow."

"Oh... Okay..." said Hajime, "But... If you ever need to talk at all, I'm always here."

"Okay." said Chiaki, "Well... I'm going to get some rest. Let Ryoko know I'm fine..."

"Hear you loud and clear." said Ryoko, who was still playing Gala-Omega nearby.

"Oh... Well, alright, then." said Chiaki, "Well... Good night."

"Night." said Ryoko.

Chiaki closed the door. Hajime then turned around and sighed.

"...Why are you so disappointed." Ryoko asked, while her eyes were still glued to the screen, "Chiaki said she was better..."

"I'm not disappointed..." Hajime said, "How would you even know that when you so focused on that game?"

"I'm good at multitasking." Ryoko said, "And I'm good at analyzing. From how you were talking to Chiaki, you sounded both relieved **and** disappointed."

"That's not..."

"If I had to guess, I'd say you really wanted to be the one to comfort Chiaki, but instead, her Pokemon beat you to it."

"And I'm happy for..."

"Yes, you're are indeed happy for her. But you're also somewhat jealous. I was right to assume you had a thing for her."

"Ryoko, please..."

"With that said... I can also tell that Chiaki isn't a hundred percent confident in herself. She's willing to try and move on, but she's still frightened. So with that, you may have that chance to be her knight in shining armor. Continue to look out for her and be there when she needs someone."

Hajime was both astonished and a bit annoyed by Ryoko's analyzing abilities, leaving him a bit speechless.

"...Okay. I beat the final level. You can have this back now."

Ryoko handed Hajime his GameGirl Advance.

"You beat it that fast?!" said Hajime, "You're almost as good as Chiaki!"

"It wasn't difficult to figure out the games pattern." said Ryoko, "Anyway, I'm heading to bed. You should do the same."

"R-right..." said Hajime.

Thered head went to her room. Hajime decided to do the same.

* * *

"You had her traveling with **Chiaki?!** " said Kyosuke, who was on Yasuke's computer screen.

"Well, it was either keep Ryoko on the move, or let her stay here and get captured by Team Chaos." Yasuke said, "Although, knowing her, she'd lose her patience one day and run off on her own. I'd feel much safer if someone could look out for her..."

"Yes, I get that..." said Kyosuke, "But that doesn't change the fact that you put Chiaki in danger!"

"Are you not confident in your daughter's abilities, Munakata?" Yasuke asked.

Kyosuke looked away, looking a bit agitated.

"Look, I get it. It's only natural for a father to worry about his child. But I think both she and Ryoko are in capable hands. That boy who was with them... He's something special. When he allows me to, we can start that project."

"Hajime?" said Kyosuke, "You believe he's compatible with the project."

"Absolutely." said Yasuke, "Not many trainers can unlock a Lycanroc's Dusk Form."

"And you think he'll accept?" Kyosuke asked.

"I'm counting on it." Yasuke answered.

Kyosuke let out a sigh before looking back at Yasuke again.

"Is it true that Chiaki helped defeat Team Chaos over there?" he asked.

"Yes," said Yasuke, "She's not exactly the greatest trainer in the world, but she's quite strong for a newbie trainer. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"And you're sure that **she** won't suddenly gain her memories back?"

"I keep telling you I had that part covered. You don't have to worry about that detail."

"...Very well. I'll trust your judgement. But know this... If anything happens to Chiaki, I'm holding **you** responsible for it."

"Fair enough." Yasuke said.

Kyosuke soon broke contact with Yasuke, and the computer screen went blank.

"...Hmph. What a worrywart," Yasuke said, "She's not even his biological daughter, either. Since when did that guy get so soft?"

Yasuke got up from his chair and walked to a pod that was labeled _Project Type: Null. Code Name: Sephiroth._

"But that doesn't matter..." he said, "After all... In due time, I'm going to unlock your hidden powers... As well as find Bass. I'll be waiting for you, Hajime."

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **Hey, everyone. Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been working on my original book for a bit, and had very little free time. But now that chapter one of Zodia Chronicles: Sacred Shackles is out on Amazon, I think it'll be a little easier to make some time for my fan fictions here and there.**

 **Speaking of Zodia Chronicles, I plan to make a preview of the first five chapters on fiction press so you can see for yourself if this will be a story you enjoy. I'll need to finish chapter two first, though. I hope you'll check it out and give me some feedback so I'll know what I'll need to improve as an author. If you want to reed a chapter that also comes with illustrations, however, then read the ones on Amazon. They'll be $0.99, though.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time, everyone.**


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